Gone
by megalooch1
Summary: Even though you deal with evil on a daily basis, you never imagined something this terrible could happen to you. [Third and final installment of the "Stay/Leave/Gone Trilogy."]
1. Chapter 1

You never expect that something this horrible could happen to you. There's the average expectation of heartbreak and sorrow throughout your time on this earth, but never anything like this. She has read the news and watched reports that spew different statistics of the vulnerable public, but they're not part of the vulnerable public. She's part of a dynamic duo, a twosome that puts monsters where they belong and close the curtains on all the inky black stains that make the world a troubling place for the innocent. She's part of a pair that is raising a small family to believe in right, wrong, never, and always - and she knows they're doing a pretty good job of it. It comes naturally to the two because up until this day they felt that they have lived through it all. Tragedy, loss, fear, struggle, happiness, and completion. It was easy to teach and pass on knowledge when you've had so much experience. None of that experience, not one of the most painful moments in their life managed to thicken their skin enough to be able to rationally deal with what was playing before them.

Bradley was gone. _Gone._ There wasn't a trace left behind or hint of where to look. Just an empty red race car bed the little, sandy-haired menace received for his fifth birthday. Sheets were crumpled and his pillow could still be warm for all you know. But you wouldn't know because you haven't moved from the spot on the hallway floor where you landed on your knees countless minutes ago.

Detective Jane Rizzoli was regarded as the toughest of the tough, the hardest of the hard, but those closest to her also knew she was the softest of the soft when it came to her family. As the hard wood started to penetrate and cause her knees to ache, she looked up to her wife standing next to her and just knew that the pained, colorless face mirrored her own. Doctor Maura Rizzoli placed a soft, shaking hand on Jane's shoulder that was at hip level. It was a comforting touch for the brunette but it served more as a steadying grip to balance the trembling medical examiner.

Crime scene techs started to flood their cozy yet large household. Not one tech dared to look at the women, they were all too uncomfortable to see one of their own in such a pained, vulnerable position. It wasn't until a tech slightly bumped the caramel blonde with their kit that Maura finally came back to reality.

"I have to get Angie." She moved to the baby's room as if on autopilot. Her words held no emotion, no fear, no tears threatening. Nothing. It was one of those few moments in her life where she didn't have anything to say, no analysis, and she didn't know how to feel. It was as if her brain was firing off more commands than her weak body could follow. It was an overwhelming feeling, but it was also comforting at the moment to feel so...numb.

Jane didn't move, her brown eyes just stayed on the empty bed before her. There were several sets of hands now exploring every nook and cranny of the little boy's room. After crime scene pictures were taken, each piece of furniture was overturned and inspected. Every surface was dusted for fingerprints and every surface was checked for alien fibers. Everything seemed normal, it was hard to believe that something so horrible had taken place in such a serene, happy place. The brightly colored walls gave a false sense of glee, and the toys sprawled across the room made it feel as if the little boy would pop out of hiding at any moment and yell "got ya!" at his weeping mothers. Jane watched with tears rolling down her stoic face, she observed as an impossible case unravelled, along with herself.

"Janie?" A familiar deep voice called from behind her and a large warm hand took its place on her shoulder. Until that moment she didn't even realize Maura had moved away. When brown, watery eyes finally turned to look at the figure above her crumpled body, her stomach clenched painfully when she recognized the look on the older man's face.

"Korsak, no!" Two words were all Jane could manage out of her tight throat.

"We have reason to believe it's him." Remorse painted his features.

"The cold cases? The kidnappings? The sick fuck who goes after cop's kids?" That was enough, she didn't have to add anymore details to let her fellow detective know she heard his unspoken words. But she didn't stop there, even after a gray head nodded in confirmation. "The guy we've been after for years because he likes to kill these kids and keep their teeth as trophies?" Vince Korsak lowered his head and closed his eyes, this was his family too. He may not be blood related but that didn't matter to him or any part of the Rizzoli clan.

Jane finally moved. The lanky detective jumped up from her spot on the floor and raced to the bathroom in enough time to heave into the toilet. It was early on a Sunday, the family just started to stir and get excited for Sunday breakfast. It was a small thing to be thankful for, but Jane found it easier to calm an empty stomach rather than a full one. Breakfast was now the last thing on her mind. She emerged from the bathroom to be met by her wife and four month old baby girl. Staring into those troubled, hazel eyes broke down the last barrier Jane had been clinging to. The dark haired woman closed the distance and began sobbing violently against the soft silk of Maura's pajamas.

Within the next few hours any and all evidence was collected by the techs and every detective available filled the house looking for further clues. Jane's partner, Barry Frost, was there shortly after he received the call from Korsak. Frankie Rizzoli arrived quickly and was now searching the perimeter of the home for any evidence of forced entry or the presence of anyone at all. Other detectives from across the several departments were assisting. The married couple were accompanied by an emotional Angela Rizzoli in the kitchen. The three women stood and watched as the home was turned upside down in a desperate attempt to turn up something, anything. Two sets of brown eyes and one set of hazel all held the same silent thought.

_This can't be happening to us._

**A/N: And so it begins, the third installment to this trilogy. I didn't expect it to come so quickly, but I couldn't help myself. I had the idea for the third story back when I started the second one. When I woke up this morning I couldn't wait to get started. Hopefully all the readers who enjoyed the first two stories are as pleased with this one. As you can tell it's a bit darker, a heavier story-line than the previous two, but I can promise lighter moments throughout the story. Stay tuned and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Still do not own any rights or characters. I just like to have a little fun. Thank you for all the reviews! I love reading what y'all think. All the followers and favorites made the sun shine brighter for me. I know this one is dark, especially following a happy ending so quickly, but does the drama ever really end for our favorite duo? Enjoy and feel free to review, I love feedback. **

Ralph the teddybear. He was stained and matted, threadbare and distressed, but he was still Bradley's favorite toy out of his vast collection. He was the little boy's best friend, the keeper of secrets and the accomplice to imaginary adventures. Jane sat quietly on her son's bed and fingered the thin material of the bear's right ear, the only ear poor Ralph had left. Even the skilled hands of Doctor Maura couldn't save the ear that lost the battle between Jo the feisty and Bradley the tornado.

The tears had finally stopped and her detective thought process was starting to come alive. Try as she might, Jane was still unable to keep her personal thoughts from creeping in. She knew the killer's MO, she knew his preferred drop points, and his methods of disposal. He took only a few teeth and the exact same ones each time; an incisor and the upper right central. The front tooth. The unruly, fractured detective knew there was a reason for these choices but she couldn't bend her mind enough to understand them. She thought of each victim and how they were laid to rest with a broken smile. Jane's thoughts went immediately to the smile of her own child, and the fond yet painful memories that accompanied each new tooth that sprung to life.

"Nickel for your thoughts?" Maura broke the silence that had settled over the household. She stood in the doorway, cradling Angie against her warm chest. Her rapid heartbeat seemed to soothe the infant. Jane's bloodshot eyes rose to meet her wife's concerned gaze.

"They usually only cost a penny, but for you they're free of charge." The lanky brunette brought her right hand down to pat the mattress beside her. The blonde settled snug against her wife with the baby asleep on her, and waited patiently for her to speak. Jane took a deep breath before opening herself up.

"I'm trying, Maur. I'm trying so hard to concentrate and think. I can solve the toughest cases but what good am I if I can't save my own son!" Tears fell with a renewed freshness.

"Jane, love, you're only capable of so much. You can't think rationally because Bradley is our son. That's why you're not working this case and why you're on leave. All we can do now is be here for one another." Maura stated her words evenly and yet full of conviction. Her calm exterior had finally won the attention of the detective. Maybe it was all the years she had spent by herself, feeling like the loneliest woman on the planet. It had trained her to deal with emotions. That was until Jane Rizzoli came into her life.

"How can you be so calm?" Jane finally questioned out loud.

"I'm not. As a matter of fact I'm broken apart on the inside. Obviously I don't mean that in the physical sense, but an emotional one."

"Gee, I'm glad you cleared that up for me." Jane's lips curled into a small smirk, one she felt guilty for immediately.

"I think I'm..." She struggled to find the right description for the helpless, frozen feeling she had inside. "I think I'm stuck in a stage of denial that has yet to start to fade." The ME spoke softly, quietly admitting to her emotional state. "The best detectives and officers are on our side, we'll find him."

Even though Maura's voice wavered, Jane knew the caramel blonde believed her words. That caused an overwhelming need to have a little faith in her fellow law enforcement. With a small shimmer of hope lighting up her heart, Jane decided to talk openly about their unique child. It was a way for her to focus on the good.

"Remember when we almost gave up?"

"You were ready to give up, Jane. I was patient enough to believe in my body and the science behind the process."

_It had been a year. A year of trying, twelve monthly trips to the doctor and twelve trips to the clinic for Frankie so he could make his "deposit". By month five the detective had already grown antsy, impatient, and ready to look into other possibilities. Not that she wanted to visit fertility doctors or jump head first into in-vitro, she was just tired of the monthly disappointment. _

_Maura was the picture of gracefulness during these months. She knew the statistics for women over the age of thirty-five wanting to conceive. Her scientific brain knew the changes her body had to make in order to become pregnant. No matter how many times her partner questioned and almost begged her to visit other options, she held firm on the only option that was as close to "the old fashioned way" they could get. So she asked for a year. Twelve tries. Twelve months for Jane to let go of her doubt and embrace science. And they fell short each time._

_So when Maura decided to ask the detective for one more try, she knew she needed to be crafty in her approach. Absolutely relentless in her tactics. Early that Saturday morning, Maura rose along with the late rise of the January sun. She gently climbed from bed and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up with a quick shower and the application of her most expensive and deliciously fragrant lotion for her already smooth skin. After a year and a half of marriage, Maura knew all of her wife's weaknesses, and being freshly showered was one of them. The ME crawled back into bed and slithered up next to her unsuspecting bedmate. She was primal, like a cat stalking it prey. She curled her naked body against the fully clothed detective in front of her, allowing her hand to creep below the hem of a worn blue t-shirt. Nimble fingers danced across firm ridges of abdominal muscles, dips and valleys that still caused a shiver to run down the blonde's spine. Her next move would normally be to run her plumb lips, ones that were still tingling with peppermint, along the sensitive shell of Jane's ear. But that ear was hidden beneath a pile of tangled curls the color of coffee and ebony. Maura's concentrated features softened when she thought of the second best place to apply a kiss. The bare patch of skin just above the neckline of Jane's shirt held her attention and she brought her lips closer, allowing them to part just enough for the kiss to be moist without being wet. The plump, minty mouth lingered for a moment as her small nose inhaled the scent of her lover, increasing her arousal significantly. There was something so unique about Jane's scent, especially in the morning. The fragrance automatically brought vivid images of the brunette splayed across tangled sheets to Maura's mind. Her full hips involuntarily bucked against her lover's ass._

_"Someone's awake." A low, rough voice came to life._

_"Very." A short, two syllable word was as effective as a long, detailed explanation. _

_The dark haired woman finally started to move, turning over with one eye cracked open a small fraction. The sight she was greeted with caused both eyes to wake fully, and several other parts of her decided to join the party as well. A completely nude, very awake, damp haired Maura smiled back at the disheveled woman looking at her. Not a second passed before long muscular arms were wrapped around the beautiful gift on display._

_"You smell amazing." An angular nose trailed along the doctor's neck and coming to rest at a racing pulse point. _

_"Mmmm.." Maura let her head fall back, giving her wife more room to play. "Thank you." The rumble of the voice that was now deeper than before tickled the detective's lips that had made their way to warm skin. Maura's hand was still beneath the thin material of Jane's shirt and pressed against the firm bone between small breasts. The feeling of the woman's heartbeat against her palm held such a soothing quality. It was as if it were the universe's way of telling the rational scientist that this was a moment to live for; The meaning of life._

_"I should be thanking you." A raspy voice spoke from below a blushing ear. "This is a wonderful way to wake up." Long fingers trailed down the natural, womanly curve of Maura's side, eliciting a giggle from the smaller woman. The hand came to rest once it was full of creamy white flesh. She brought their bodies flush together, not allowing even the smallest amount of space to ruin the moment. A tiny moan escaped both women at the contact. "The things you do to me..." Jane trailed off as her lips finally met the ones that were laying in wait. _

_The kiss was slow, it was a kiss that said "good morning" and awoke your senses slowly. It was a tiny spark in a very, very dry forest that quickly ignited everything within sight. Once both women found themselves breathless and their hands searching, exploring for more contact, Maura knew she had her wife right where she wanted her._

_"I think we should try one more time." She spoke softly, tentatively as Jane's hot tongue mapped out the line of her clavicle._

_"What?" Jane didn't stop, which meant she also didn't hear the small suggestion. _

_"One more time. Before any other doctors." Maura paused to gasp at the feeling of a rough hand that glided along the sensitive skin of her inner thigh._

_"You want to talk about this right now?" Brown eyes were shining with arousal and challenge. The pressure of her hand never left, but the movement had stilled. Maura made a mental note to edit her tactics for future use, it didn't work as well when she found herself on the receiving end._

_"I need you aboard." Hooded hazel eyes looked up at the woman that was now covering her fully. They spoke silent pleas and overflowed with love. Even if the detective had any intentions of not giving Maura everything she wanted, those intentions would have died the instant their eyes met. _

_"I'm ON board, Maur." Her free hand cupped the cheek of the smiling woman beneath her. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too." Maura rose to kiss her wife with a renewed hunger. She was more than a little displeased when Jane broke the kiss to speak again._

_"Is that what this whole morning seduction was about?" A signature smirk appeared. "I thought maybe you just wanted to spend the day in bed with me." The hand that made itself at home on Maura's thigh started to creep upward again. _

_"I'll admit, I had ulterior motives," a sharp intake of air caused the normally articulate ME to pause, "but I do want that. Oh, god." She started to shake with anticipation. "I really want that."_

_The couple didn't leave bed that day, save for a few small meals and bathroom breaks. Family dinner was cancelled for the first time in months, and a questioning Angela Rizzoli was left disappointed but was surprisingly understanding about her girls needing some alone time after all they've been through. _

_Three weeks later they found out that they were expecting their first child. The party that followed the news had made up for any cancelled dinner. _

"That last time was all it took." Maura now held Ralph tightly against her chest, Angie was cradled delicately in Jane's arms.

"Thirteenth time was a charm. With a number like thirteen we should have known the kid would be on the mischievous side." Jane had a point, but Maura had a better one.

"He's a Rizzoli. He was bound to be a trouble maker regardless." Maura smiled a dreamy smile at her bad-ass detective.

"Fair enough." Jane couldn't help but agree. "That also means he'll grow up to be a looker." There was a moment of realization, an unspoken "if" and "what if" hung heavily in the air. Maura knew where her wife's thoughts went, she always did.

"We'll find him. I just know it. Just like I knew we only needed that one last try." She spoke with a low, reassuring tone.

"Yeah." Jane swallowed hard, relieving the pressure of the lump that was forming, eyes glued to the bundle in her arms. "You are always right, after all." Jane's features softened a bit.

Maura knew that wasn't true, it was impossible to always be right. She was wrong often, but she also knew that the small confession was said with the intention to soothe the detective, not flatter the genius ME.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Heavy chapter ahead. (Still don't own the rights.)**

A few days had passed with no new information or leads. Not one clue had been left in their household. To say that Jane felt useless would be a grand understatement. The detective had been forced to take leave while the rest of the available officers at the BPD investigate the disappearance of Bradley Rizzoli. Lieutenant Cavanaugh knew even his best detective wouldn't be unable to focus, and Jane would normally argue and fight being forced to the sideline, but this was her son, and Maura had been handed the same dismissal which made the bitter pill a little easier to swallow. Having her wife by her side telling her that everyone was doing everything they could helped the brooding detective as well.

What Cavanaugh didn't know was that Jane Rizzoli used all the intimidation she had within and played it against the fear most officers already harbored for her, ensuring that she was kept up to date with new information. Frost and Korsak wouldn't have been able to keep details from the brunette even if they wanted to. Even though they were too close to the case for comfort, having known Bradley since birth and being such a large part of his mothers lives, they were the best detectives for the job. They wanted and needed to be there to oversee the investigation.

Neither of the men wanted to make the call that day, but they knew it would be best coming from them. After a short debate, Korsak decided he would be the best man for the job. Being there with Jane, fighting alongside her for years, he had been witness to the scariest times of her life as well as the happiest. Korsak brought his phone to his ear with a trembling hand and waited for an answer.

"Rizzoli."

"Jane, it's Korsak." His voice was gentle and hesitant. The older detective kept his eyes closed and struggled to keep the words even.

"What's up? Do you have any leads?" The hopeful tone in her voice cut through his chest with painful strength.

"We have a body."

**xxxxxxx**

The car ride to Boston harbor was travelled in silence. Angie had been left with her grandmother as her parents made a hasty exit, not wanting to share the details of where they had planned on going. Until there was a confirmation, whether positive or negative, there was no need to worry anyone else. Jane had forced the address from her fellow detective, informed her wife, and they were in the car before they realized what they were doing. The two women sat in silence and collected their respective emotions. Neither were ready for what they were about to do, what they had to do. They were both still dressed for a lazy day at home. Matching worn in jeans and mismatched sweatshirts hidden beneath bulky winter jackets. Maura's caramel waves were secured atop her head and she wore minimal makeup. She had never gone to a crime scene dressed so casually, and this was the first time she didn't care how she looked. Jane's dark mane looked as unruly as usual.

Once the car was parked the couple took a silent moment to allow the situation to sink in. A moment to prepare themselves. Holding hands, they didn't need words to communicate the type of support they had always supplied to one another. When Jane looked into Maura's eyes she felt everything she needed at the moment, it was a soft and gentle caress that let her know that they were in this together. If their world was about to shatter, they knew the other would be there to help put it back together. Jane's intense brown eyes mirrored that look and two hands belonging to separate bodies reached to open their door at the same time.

It didn't take long to find the body. Jane followed the trail of uniformed officers and the sound of heaving by nearby storage containers. The detective was the first to approach Korsak, Maura went to check on Frost's hunched form.

"Is it him?" There was no need to dance around the matter. She had been working homicide long enough to know all the tactics of being gentle when delivering bad news and she felt any delays were unnecessary. Jane wanted to know before Maura approached, preparing herself to be the one to deliver the good or bad news to her wife.

"I..." Korsak froze, unable to work past a sudden surge of emotion.

"Is it?" Jane's voice took on a sharp edge. Her large dark eyes pleading with the senior detective to just tell her what he knew.

"We haven't looked yet. We couldn't.." He lowered his gaze, finding Jane's sneakers to be much more interesting than her face. He was ashamed of himself for not doing the hard part for his former partner. "Frost lost it the moment he saw the boy from afar, and I couldn't get closer. I'm sorry, Janie." His words grew more quiet the more spoke. His apology was lost to the back of Jane's retreating form.

She sprinted towards the small figure that lay abandoned on a dock. Her legs stopped their motion when she was within five feet of the body. Once she scanned her surroundings for any evidence her presence may contaminate, Jane moved closer still. Small bare feet and tiny toes were the first thing to catch her attention, they were tinted blue. Her face grew warm and her throat became painfully tight. The sight before her was starting to blur as tears rose but never fell onto her colorless cheeks. When her gaze locked with lifeless eyes, her lungs let out a burning breath when the head full of black hair came into focus.

Jane wasn't aware of the fact that she had collapsed. Once she realized that it wasn't her son laying prone on the wooden planks everything had went black. Her position was brought to her attention when she was being lifted from her aching knees by her partner and her wife, concern painting both their features.

"Jane, are you alright?" Maura looked deep into vacant brown eyes, she gently checked vitals and determined that it was just a case of mild shock. Frost remained quiet and by her side. "Can you walk to the car?"

Jane just looked back into Maura's eyes, nodding gently and regaining her balance. "It's not him, Maur. It's not Bradley."

"I know." Maura responded quietly. As much as they all wanted to relax and let the relief wash over them, the knowledge that someone's child was dead continued to eat away at them. Another innocent life cut too short. Different levels of grief tore through each person at the scene, leaving them to deal with their own pain.

That evening was spent in an eerie silence. Neither woman spoke more than necessary. There were no stories to tell or conversation to take part in. Dinner was left uneaten and an early bedtime seemed like the best idea. Sleep didn't come though, they were both too occupied with a grateful feeling as well as the fear that accompanied it. How many more close calls before their luck ran out?

_"What do we do?" A panicked Jane asked her wife. They had been in bed for no longer than twenty minutes when they had to get up. Both women were disheveled and sleep deprived. Jane rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet and rubbed at the scars on her hands. Her pajama bottoms had holes and her black tank top was too short for her long torso, but they were the most comfortable clothes she owned._

_"I..I don't know." _

_"What do you mean you don't know? You're the genius! You're the one that read all the books and did hours of research! How are we not prepared for this!" Jane's comically large eyes stayed glued on Maura's face. The blonde was slightly calmer than the jittery woman next to her, but she still shared in her panic. _

_A one week old Bradley had been crying for over a half hour. The only pause the small infant took was to fill his lungs with more ammunition. Another wail tore through the normally quiet household. Nothing prepared the new mothers for this. Babysitting Jane's nephew, TJ, had been simple. Tommy and Lydia would drop him off, he'd eat, giggle, get his diaper changed and then sleep. SLEEP. That seemed to be the only concept Bradley couldn't quite grasp at his neoteric age. _

_"Maybe he's hungry." Jane suggested as she reached over and started unbuttoning the purple silk blouse to Maura's pajama set. Her nimble fingers were quickly slapped away. _

_"Jane! He was fed less than an hour ago and you better keep your hands away from my breasts. Even this Italian silk feels like sandpaper against my nipples."_

_Jane's eyebrows knit tightly together as she stared at her wife with wide eyes, her mouth looked like she had just eaten a lemon. "I'm sorry?" _What else do you say to a piece of information like that?

_Apparently, even with the inflection, it was the perfect retort since Maura's tired eyes lit up and a bright smile graced her face. She was touched to know that Jane respected and understood her feelings and the state her body was in (or so it seemed). The moment was broken by a particularly loud cry. Maura bent and lifted the small squirming body into her arms and held him against her chest, she began to rock him. The blonde rubbed her cheek over the top of his fuzzy head and inhaled the scent so unique to newborns. Her lips pursed and a random melody was coming to life. Maura was humming a string of notes that made no sense together but it captivated the two beings sharing the room. _

_The crying had stopped. Jane just stood back and watched the interaction between mother and son in awe. She was never sure whether it was possible to love Maura more, but in this moment she was floored by the overwhelmingly full feeling she had in her heart. This woman swaying before her and the boy in her arms were her world. Jane Rizzoli would do anything in her power to give them anything and protect them from everything. The rough detective knew parenthood changed people, but she just wasn't expecting the change to be eminent. She embraced the feeling and vowed to keep her silent promises to her family until she no longer walked this earth._


	4. Chapter 4

"Jane, please."

It had been five days since Bradley's disappearance and life for the married couple trucked along forcefully. They didn't want to see anyone and they especially didn't want to talk to anyone. Those who didn't know about the kidnapping would ask about the kids and the few who did know seemed to make things worse. It was easier for the two women to retreat into an antisocial bubble with just them and their baby. Even their family had become too much.

It only took a day but Maura started pestering Jane with constant questions about the suspected kidnapper/murderer. Jane had struggled with her own knowledge and wanted to spare her wife the mental images that haunted her on a daily basis.

"No."

"I have a right to know!" Maura threw the damp dishtowel she was holding in a fierce grip onto the countertops. The argument escalated more quickly than usual. One moment the caramel blonde was cleaning up a shattered jar of baby food and the next she was toe to toe with her tall lover.

"Yes, Maura, as his mother you do have a right to know. But as your wife I have a right to protect you from harm. No good can come of you knowing any more than you already do." Jane tried to reason. She had tried for days but the ME didn't seem the least bit deterred.

"Wouldn't you want to know?" Maura proposed the question knowing full well that Jane would threaten anyone that withheld information from her.

Jane wanted to answer in the negative. She wanted to lie her way out of this but her dark head nodded instead. The detective's thin frame came to rest against the breakfast bar and she let out a breath of resignation.

"Fine, but we can skip dinner preparations then. You won't want to eat after you hear this."

The couple rocked their baby into a gentle slumber and tucked her into the portable crib in the living room. Jane poured Maura a glass of wine and she substituted her usual beer for two-fingers worth of scotch. It was one of the few times the tough-skinned woman needed the assistance of the strong alcohol to make it through a situation. Both women settled into their plush couch with a short distance separating them. With an arm across the back of the sofa, Jane turned to her wife and silently asked if she was ready. Dark eyes scanned Maura's tired features for any hint of apprehension, all she saw was a thin veil of professionalism and sad eagerness. After a large sip of the amber liquid Jane began, her words coming slowly and gently.

"We first came across one of these cases just as I was getting on my feet as a detective. They pulled me from vice as an extra set of hands considering the sensitive situation. You hadn't been brought in yet but I'm sure it would have been solved if you were." She flashed a small smile at her wife. "The suspect had been traveling from state to state and preying on children of police officers. The higher the officer's rank, the greater the risk; the more satisfying the prize."

"The son of a highly regarded, colorfully decorated detective who happened to be married to the Chief Medical Examiner would make for a grand prize." Maura spoke so softly she didn't even realize her thoughts were said aloud.

Jane nodded slightly and continued, "He would keep them for a while and treat them as if they were his own."

"How do you know it's a male?" Maura questioned.

"Several behavioral analysts had reviewed the files at this point. All the evidence points to a male. The way he chooses to kill.."

"It's a lot less likely for a woman to brutalize a child. Of course. Please go on."

Jane was almost taken aback by Maura's cold acceptance of her words but she knew it was just her way of coping. It was the blonde's one defense mechanism that never failed her- seeing only the science.

"So he'd treat them well. Supply them with toys and feed them all their favorite meals. That always suggested-"

"He watched them previously, got to know their habits, likes and dislikes." A caramel head bobbed up and down as if Maura understood the way the twisted mind worked. She smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her simple blue blouse and wiped her palms on her tight khakis before looking to her wife, encouraging her to continue.

Jane just looked on and wondered if she'd get the chance to continue uninterrupted, she guessed not. "But just like most people and their play things, he'd grow bored of them and try new things to keep himself happy." The brunette's husky voice grew deeper when her throat clenched at the thought.

"Does he sexually assault them?" Maura asked cooly, trying desperately to not picture her son in the hands of this madman.

Jane threw her head back as she swallowed the last drops of scotch. She tried to focus on the burn in her throat instead of the turning of her stomach as she nodded her head in confirmation. She couldn't look at Maura after that. She continued speaking and kept her gaze on the fire that was dancing in their large fireplace. The flames that reflected in her dark eyes symbolized the fury building inside her perfectly.

"He'd beat them. He'd touch them and rape them. And

when he grew tired of all that, when he found no other use for their tiny bodies.." She swallowed hard in an attempt to fight back the burning liquid that was forcing its way back up her esophagus. "He'd remove the two teeth while they were still alive and then he'd poison them. Slowly." She felt Maura shift on the cushion next to her, she moved enough to allow their knees to touch. She knew the small contact would comfort her wife.

"How slow?"

"Slow enough to burn holes in their tiny organs before they would die."

Maura gasped and covered her mouth. The ME knew all the kinds of poisons and the doses needed to inflict that kind of damage. A large dose would burn tissue immediately and the victim wouldn't last more than a couple hours. But small doses would cause pain for days, weeks, possibly even months. Excruciating pain that no human being should suffer, let alone an innocent child. Tears were running down her face as she shook her head and left the room abruptly.

Jane figured she needed a break or that she had run to the bathroom. Either way the detective knew enough to sit and wait for Maura's return. She absentmindedly played with the string of her gray sweatpants as she waited. Her eyes took in the worn red tank top she wore, the one that proudly stated "Half of the World's Best Mom Team." Frankie had made Jane and Maura matching shirts for their first Mother's Day and even though she laughed at how corny it was, the shirt quickly became a staple in her wardrobe. Jane was torn from her thoughts when Maura reentered the room, she was pale and shaky.

"Talk to me about something else. Anything else." The blonde demanded as she sat close to Jane's firm body. The minty smell of her breath confirmed the detective's earlier suspicion that even the iron-clad stomach of Maura Rizzoli couldn't handle those details.

"I-"

"Don't even think about saying 'I told you so' or you will be sleeping on this couch tonight."

A long silence settled between them after Maura's threat. It took Jane several minutes before she managed to come up with a safe topic, one she knew had held a special place in Maura's heart.

"At least we learned early on to never let Tommy plan our kids birthday parties."

"Or any party for that matter." A small yet natural smile appeared on Maura's face at the memory.

"He was creative, ya gotta give him that!"

"He lined a cake pan with Twinkies and called it a cake." Maura was still astonished by her brother-in-law's antics.

"Don't forget that he iced it, too."

Over three years had passed and the two women were still hung up on the disaster of a shindig. From the mismatched decorations, the five pack of party hats for the nine guests, to the sloppily iced Twinkie cake; Tommy had failed miserably at his first attempt of hosting a Birthday party for Bradley. No matter how big of a catastrophe it was, each and every guest would remember that day and all the fun they had.

"I'm still jealous that you got a party hat." Jane wrapped her arm around Maura's shoulders and pulled her close against her body. The blonde accepted the new position by resting her head against a soft chest.

"It's not my fault that I look better in pink."

"'My Little Pony' is quite becoming on you." Jane kissed the top of fragrant caramel waves. No matter how long they were married, Jane was still amazed at the softness of Maura's hair. It was silky and smooth, just like the rest of the voluptuous ME.

They sat in silence, memories washing over them as well as small thoughts of ways to find their missing son. Jane had violent thoughts of revenge while Maura kept her thoughts on the reunion that she hoped would take place soon. It wasn't until little Angie started to fuss in her crib that the women broke apart.

"I'll tuck her in if you want to head up and get ready for bed. It's been a long night." Jane offered, not acknowledging the fact that it was only seven in the evening. With such a nebulous cloud hanging heavily above their household, there wasn't much to do beyond trying to solve the case or sleep in it's dark shadow.

"I think I'll take a bath. Come to bed when your done?" Maura asked shyly, trying to conceal the overwhelming need she had for the brunette. It wasn't something she was normally ashamed of, but the strength of it during this time was devastating.

"I'll race you there." Angular features softened into a smile before Jane kissed her wife's forehead and made her way to the nursery.

Over the past five days both mothers found it harder to put their newborn down and this evening was no exception. Jane gently rocked Angie from side to side a long while after the red-headed infant had fallen asleep. Each time she reached over the railing of the crib to place the little girl down, she'd return to a standing position with her daughter still in her arms. She smiled down at the peaceful, chubby face and started to cry at the innocence she saw there. It was the same innocence she saw in her son's face. Innocence that was present even during his most devilish of deeds. Whether he was drawing on the walls or using one of Maura's expensive shoes as an obstacle for his toy trucks, the sandy-haired boy always looked like an angel. A characteristic he obviously got from the woman who carried him.

Maura had heard the strange noises from the bathtub but didn't question them. She heard several thuds that were always followed by a string of curses. It wasn't unusual for Jane to start random projects during high stress situations, so her wife didn't second-guess what she was doing. Maura did, however, laugh when she emerged from the bathroom to see their baby's crib tucked into the corner of their bedroom.

"It would have been easier to put the portable one in here." She looked at her wife with a raised eyebrow and smiled. Jane was bent with her hands on her knees, red-faced and sweating from the exertion required to move the heavy piece of furniture. Oak seemed like a good material when it was staying in one room.

"That would require going up and down stairs. This seemed easier." She pointed at the crib that held a sleeping baby before she flopped on her own bed face first.

Maura approached the bed in her cotton nightgown. It was simple, black, and boring for Maura Rizzoli. It wasn't fine Italian silk but the material was light and sinfully soft. The perfect piece of clothing to provide a false sense of comfort. She pulled back the covers and slid beneath them against the cool sheets. Once she was completely buried deep within the bedding, she asked the question that had been nagging at her occipital lobe.

"Was there ever any evidence?" No specifics were needed for Jane to know exactly what she was asking.

Jane turned slowly and brought her long body up the bed to rest on it's side. She laid her head on her hand and propped herself up on her elbow. She could barely see more than a few golden waves and a portion of a gorgeous face in the pile of covers. No matter how little she could see, Jane knew Maura's brain was working overtime.

"Nothing other than fresh clothes. All generic t-shirts and shorts. No DNA, barely any trace. This guy knows what he's doing." A remorseful tone accompanied each word.

Maura pulled the covers away upon hearing one word in particular. "Barely? What do you mean barely?"

"There was always soil and leaves present on the body. Since they were always dumped outdoors no one thought twice about that. The three found in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire had traces of a few chemicals on them, but I don't recall what. Same with the previous Boston child." Jane started to snake her way under the blankets, the fatigue from the past few days weighing heavily on her bones.

"Do you have a file here?"

All Jane had to do was see the look in her wife's fiery hazel eyes to know that NOT getting the file wasn't an option. There was a certain shimmer present in those eyes that told the detective this woman wouldn't sleep until she read over the evidence herself. That look alone was the most comfort the brunette had felt in days. She jumped from the bed and made her way from the room. She returned a moment later with a thick manilla folder that she handed to the doctor and a sliver of hope before she rejoined her pillow. If anyone could see the invisible, it was Maura.

The bedside lamp stayed on while Maura scanned the pages before her. Designer reading glasses hung onto the end of her nose, her lips moved slightly as she read each important word. Jane laid silent. She watched the brilliant woman to her right work. Finally, after about an hour the blonde slammed the file shut and looked at her wife with wide eyes.

"Asparagine, Hyperoside, Ferulic-Acid, Neoxathin, and Sinapic-Acid. Along with the pesticides present on the skin..." Maura removed her glasses and reached across Jane's probe body to grab the detective's phone from her nightstand. "Jane, these boys were being held at an apple orchard."


	5. Chapter 5

"There's over a hundred orchards in the state of Massachusetts alone. Never mind the ones that are just over the state border! It's gonna take me a while to get the names together." Frost's voice was loud in the still space of the Rizzoli bedroom.

"I know, Frost. It's not gonna be easy but it's all we got for now." Jane took a breath and looked down into Maura's hopeful eyes.

Since her discovery, Maura had clung to Jane almost as tightly as she clung to the small glimmer of hope the evidence had given them. It wasn't a specific lead, it wasn't a piece of information that would lead them to Bradley that night but it had the potential to lead them to him sooner rather than later. And that was more potential than any detective ever had up until this point. If any team of detectives could crack the case, it would be Jane and her team. That much Maura was sure of.

Jane served as Maura's rock. When she felt weak, Jane gave her strength, when she needed support it was always provided. The brunette always waited with arms wide open for the moment Maura needed anything, and their marriage was indestructible because of it.

"It wouldn't be a busy one, that's too high of a risk for someone who keeps kids around. He's too smart to raise suspicions like that." Jane continued to share her thoughts out loud with her wife against her chest and her partner on the phone against her ear. They thought about running to the station while this lead was chased, but they wanted to stay with their baby. It was a tough choice but in the end they knew being on the phone would do just as much as being in person.

"Ok. I'll run any and all orchards closed to the public or ones that are closed down all together. I'll call you and let you know what we turn up." Before Jane could utter her thanks, Frost continued. "And Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Get some sleep while you can, because I know as soon as I have the list I won't be able to stop you from searching them with us." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Call me as soon as you have something." Jane didn't bother to confirm Frost's assumption. She ended the call and turned to envelope her wife in a full embrace. "He's going to call us as soon as he narrows the list. We should try to get some sleep."

"I can't stop thinking about what he could be doing to our own flesh and blood." Maura shook against Jane's sturdy frame.

"I know, but hopefully we'll get to him before anything happens." She kissed the crown of the blonde head. A small giggle escaped at the feel of silky hairs tickling her nose. "Thanks to your genius brain, we have the first fresh lead this case has seen in years."

"Is it wrong that I don't care about the case?" Maura asked in a small voice being muffled by Jane's chest, she didn't bother to hide the shame she felt.

"What do you mean?"

Maura sat up fully and ran her hands through her wavy hair in a frustrated gesture. She looked back at the woman that served as her support system throughout their years together, years that spanned from friendship to marriage. "I want all those parents to have peace and feel the closure that can only come from justice being served, but..." The doctor shook her head and fought for the proper words needed to voice her honest feelings. "Right now I just want Bradley home safe, I'm struggling to care about what happens beyond that." Tears accompanied her confession and Jane was quick to sit up and wipe them away.

"There is nothing wrong with that!" Thin, strong hands held the beautiful face carefully but firmly enough to keep it from looking away.

"I work for the Boston Police Department!" Maura's small cries turned into sobs.

"Look at me." Jane's dark eyes waited for Maura's own watery gaze to lock on hers. When it finally did the detective felt her already broken heart shatter into smaller pieces at the pain she saw in her wife's beautiful eyes. "You are this child's MOTHER. That allows you to feel anything you want. Do you understand me?" A small, hesitant nod was the only answer given before the blonde made move to lay back down. Jane wrapped her small body in warm blankets and her arms. She whispered words of support and love while Maura cried herself to sleep against her dampened chest. It took the brunette another hour to fight her own tears and finally follow her wife into a fitful slumber.

_"I feel like I haven't touched you in years." Jane kissed perfectly plump lips that had been begging for her attention since they had arrived home from work that evening._

_"Jane, that's a ridiculous exaggeration." Maura giggled as she felt her wife place small kisses from her chin down to the base of her exposed throat and back up again. _

_"Fine." The brunette bit at a tempting earlobe. "Eons."_

_"An eon typically refers to a billion years or a lifetime. It's been two weeks, three days, and approximately twenty two hours. Hardly an eon."_

_"Close enough." Jane kept her retort short as she concentrated more on the removal of Maura's expensive turquoise cashmere sweater. Once she had the doctor standing at the foot of their bed in nothing but her brown pencil skirt and nude lace bra, all coherent thought left the slender woman's mind. Her darkened gaze swept over the picturesque woman before her. "I missed you."_

_"Bradley is just going through a phase. It's completely normal behavior for a three year old to have a hard time sleeping in their own bed."_

_"Well, he's there now and I say we take advantage of that." Callused, scarred hands slid across the soft skin of Maura's shoulders down the curve of her back and finally resting to grasp the zipper at the top of her skirt. Jane's muscular frame was pressed against Maura's front, relishing all the soft curves she was in contact with. Maura's thin arms were wrapped around Jane's neck. "This needs to go." She whispered and at Maura's hum of approval she unzipped the article of clothing and let it all to the floor. Wrinkles be damned, Jane bent and lifted Maura over her shoulder and flipped the squealing woman onto their plush mattress._

_"Eager?" Maura smiled a soft smile as her lover stripped her work clothes off in record time and settled above her. _

_"Very." _

_Maura looked deep into Jane's eyes. It never failed to amaze her: the love she saw, the heat, the adoration and lust. It was everything she never thought she'd have in this lifetime all rolled into one gorgeous, ravishing, sexy package._

_"I love you." Maura ran her fingers through the dark mane that was draping around her face. Her other hand had a mind of it's own as it travelled from the impressive muscles of the arm holding the brunette up, down her side to feel the firm flex of her serratus anterior, and continuing south to a hard hip bone that was pressed firmly against her own. Her nails dug into the fleshy part of Jane's hip before rounding it and grabbing onto a handful of her small, firm buttocks. This movement encouraged Jane to push her pelvis against the lace of Maura's panties. _

_The brunette gasped at the sudden pressure, she laid her head down onto Maura's chest and placed a kiss over her heart before looking up again. "I love you more and more each day."_

_"Oh, Jane...you're just saying that because I'm going to make you co-"_

_"MAMA!" The small voice travelled through the house at an impressive volume. Jane collapsed onto Maura at the one word. _

_"Come on." Maura patted a heated back. "Motherhood calls." Her whole body vibrated with the growl that Jane emitted. _

_"MOMMY!" Bradley's voice grew in panic. _

_"I'm coming, baby boy." Jane rasped and jumped up to pull on her sweats. Before she left the room she turned back to look at her wife who was laying on her side in a pose appropriate for a lingerie ad. "And you, Dr. Rizzoli, better watch your back tomorrow. I don't care if we have to pull the car over on the way to work...I will have you."_

_Maura blushed slightly in the dark room. "Jane?" She rose from the bed and approached the taller woman, adding an extra sway to her hips. _

_"Yeah?" The tall woman's voice was dangerously low. _

_"Go get our son." And with that, she turned to grab a long nightgown to cover-up with and slid back into bed. She fell asleep with a smile accompanying the thoughts of what a new day would bring. _

Jane wasn't sure if it was sleepy musings or a dream, but it was brought to an abrupt end by the shrill ring of her phone shortly after five in the morning. Jane received the call the mothers were waiting for. It was a short conversation between an exhausted Frost and a frantic Jane. Details were given and the short list of abandoned and private orchards was now in Jane's hands. She agreed to meet with Frost and Korsak at the station and ride along with them instead of going rogue like she normally would.

Maura looked on as Jane got dressed, her usual work attire had been sidelined for long enough. After a quick trip to the bathroom to brush her teeth and make sure her curls were under control Jane was ready to go. Once she noticed the ME was still in the same position as when she had hung up the phone, Jane questioned her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her face painted with worry.

"I'm scared." Maura pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged them tightly.

"C'mon, get dressed." Jane held out her hand to assistance Maura.

When Maura looked up she could feel the cool determination and courage that made up Detective Jane Rizzoli. The little bit that was radiating off the tall, beautiful woman was enough to let the smaller woman accept the offered hand and place her bare feet on the ground.

"Let's go find our son."

**A/N: This is my "deep breath" chapter. It's short and simple, just meant to get ready for the more climactic chapters to come. I enjoyed writing it and I hope it's enjoyable to read. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Boy oh Boy work sure knows how to get in the way! I would have liked to update much sooner, and I intend to be more prompt with future chapters, but I hope this was worth the wait! I'd like to thank each reviewer, every follower, and all the favorites I've received on this story. I know it's not as happy and up-beat as the first two installments, but nothing is easy for these two women, is it? Disclaimer: Not rights are mine!**

Jane was sure she was possessed. By an angel or a devil, that much wasn't clear. There was a darkness to her as well as a lightness, hopeful thoughts shadowed by grief and despair. A simmering rage was accompanied by brief moments optimism. Years of experience and known statistics plagued her thoughts as the detective tried to focus on the task at hand. Bad things happened to good people everyday, but for right now she had to follow the sedan in front of them closely. She navigated the SUV down roads with short names, avenues with long names, and boulevards the native Bostonian never knew existed.

Frost was on speaker phone, relaying any new information he had compiled during the long car ride.

"The first orchard we're heading to has been privately owned for over a century. It's family owned and hasn't supplied to local businesses in over a decade."

"Has it been abandoned?" Jane asked.

"No. It still functions but has very few trees left."

"Doesn't sound very promising." Jane grumbled. Her ire was extinguished once her wife covered her right hand that had been resting on the center console with her own.

"We'll search each and every one, Jane. Even the less promising." The ME spoke calmly despite the anxiety that rattled her to the bone.

"I'll tear them all apart." Dangerous dark eyes focused on the road before them. The sun had just started to peek out above the horizon, giving an eerie sense of awakening.

"WHOAH." The deep voice echoed through the car.

"What is it, Frost?" Jane sat up straight at the familiar tone her partner spoke in.

"Get this, the orchard we're heading to is owned by Walter Hamilton. His family made it's millions by supplying most local businesses with their crops. Sixth generation apple grower and the first of his family to give it up."

"That's hardly interesting." Jane interrupted.

"Not necessarily." Maura may not have always been socially savvy, but she did know a thing or two about the pressures of family and high society. "If his family wanted him to take over the business and he didn't care enough to help it thrive, that would be a major betrayal in a family like that."

"That's not what caught my attention, but Maura is right." Jane's fellow detective spoke up once again.

"Isn't she always?" Jane fixed her wife with a fond smile. The kind of smile that said "I love you" without using any words. Her eyes landed again on the road as Korsak led the department issued cruiser down a winding side road.

"Ahem." Frost cleared his throat to gently intrude upon the moment he knew the two women's were sharing.

"You were saying?" Jane rasped.

"I was, thank you. What's most interesting is not only Mr. Hamilton's criminal record, which has quite a few violent charges, but the fact that he was one of the original suspects."

"WHAT?" Both women shouted in unison.

"What evidence did they have against him?" Jane continued on her own.

"Various sightings outside schools the officer's kids attended, a weak alibi, as well as several child endangerment allegation when he was teen and in his twenties."

"What the hell? That seems like a pretty solid case against him! How did the scumbag get off?" Jane was nearly shouting, her deep voice taking on a gravelly quality from the increase in volume.

"Money talks." Detective Frost made it sound so simple.

"Well, it's more likely that his family's social status did the 'talking', not the money per se." Maura chimed in.

"No. It was the money." The male detective said flatly. "Walter's family made considerably large donations to the DA's office, the police department, as well as the governor's in the cities of each of his indiscretions."

Both cars pulled into the long drive of the orchard. Out the window, Maura could see the small lineup of apple trees. Each tree waiting patiently for the warm weather to come along and fill their bare branches with colorful leaves and fruit. The sky was now painted in vibrant blues and oranges with large white clouds cutting across it. The silhouette of the foliage, dark in contrast, would have surprised Maura with it's beauty if it weren't for the ugly circumstances. The Mercedes came to a stop behind the cruiser that parked in front of an impressive home. It was dark and appeared to be unoccupied for some time. The call was ended as the car's occupants prepared to exit.

Jane was the first to get out of her vehicle, she tugged at the snug collar of her thick, violet turtleneck sweater. It wasn't her favorite or most comfortable, but it was thick enough to stay warm and avoid wearing a bulky jacket. Maura, on the other hand, stayed true to character and donned a perfectly tailored, wool lined brown leather jacket over cream colored sweater. Tight jeans and knee high brown boots completed a run-way ready outfit that was put together in minutes. Jane envied that about her wife as she looked down at her own worn jeans and work boots. Somehow, they always managed to compliment each other, to everyone's surprise.

"Ready to get moving with this search?" Korsak asked, noticing both women's tired faces. The dark circles under Jane's eyes were only this prominent when she had gone several consecutive nights without sleep. He dared to question it. "Have you gotten any rest?" He loosened his patterned tie and checked that his weapon's holster was open.

"Don't worry about us. We have a newborn, remember?" Jane chuckled and even Maura cracked a small smile. "We're used to getting very little sleep." Jane followed behind the men as they made their way to the door. Maura was immediately behind her.

"How is Angie?" Frost asked. "Did you get someone to take her for the day?" He climbed the stairs of the old Victorian style home.

"No. We left her with Bass and Jo." Jane dead panned.

Maura was used to her wife's sarcasm but constantly felt the need to excuse her and clarify. "We left her with Angela this morning and Tommy agreed to watch her later today."

"Now that we know the baby is in good hands," brown eyes shifted between Frost and the puzzling ME, "can we get on with this?" She stepped forward, raised her hand and knocked on the front door. "Mr. Hamilton? BPD, open up." A few more hard knocks with no answer and the officers made their way around the building.

Jane and Maura made their way to the right side of the home while the two male detective's took the left. Jane was disconcerted when the exterior entrance to the basement was locked up. As much as she wanted to break the lock along with the law, she decided to continue the outside search first. Before they left she'd return to the basement and the house, without any barriers standing in her way. She'd risk her job for Bradley, for Maura, her family.

"JANE!" Both women heard the older detective's voice echo through the still, quiet morning. Their legs carried them quickly to the source. Frost and Korsak were standing in front of what looked like a tool shed, three tool sheds to be exact. Each one was identical and well kept. They were all painted a simple blue and stood within ten feet of their neighbor. There was two generators set up outside that seemed to be supplying power to each small building.

"How many tool sheds do you have, old man?" Frost questioned senior detective.

"I may have one, but I couldn't tell you for sure." Korsak shook his gray head and smiled. He didn't venture into his yard much these days.

"How many people do you know that have a constant supply of power to their shed?" Jane drew her weapon, immediately followed by Korsak and Frost. She knocked lightly before evaluating the lock on the door. It was a simple padlock, nothing a little brute force wouldn't solve. No answer to her knock caused the tall woman to call out. "If anyone is in there, get away from the door." She looked over to Maura for assurance, for support, and strength. The brunette knew that anything could lay behind that door. Happiness or tragedy, but the shed was most likely holding another disappointment.

Looking to Frost, she nodded her head in permission to use his force. He wound his muscular form, tucking his arm into himself in order to lead with his broad shoulder. After stepping back a few paces and running back towards the shed, his puffy winter jacket cushioned some of the blow as he took down the thin barrier.

Once the dust had settled the four onlookers studied the scene before them; children's toys were scattered next to a twin sized bed. No windows to allow daylight in, the small space was lit up by a bedside lamp. Jane's scrutinizing gaze didn't fully understand what she was looking at until her eyes zeroed in on a ratty teddy bear that was balancing atop a lump under the covers. An imposter.

"Ralph." The name left the detective's thin lips in barely a whisper. She knew what she was about to do could change their lives, could crush everything good in their world. Their coupling would never be the same and she knew that Angie wouldn't be raised by two complete women. They'd lose a part of themselves if her suspicions were right and that motionless lump was what she feared most.

Jane and Maura slowly approached the bed, a trembling hand reaching forward to capture the thin blanket. A three count ran through Jane's mind before she tugged the covers away.

She was immobile. The detective's normally strong knees gave way and her lanky form fell to the ground in a pile matching the crumpled bed covering next to her. The sobs that racked her body were painful, the tears hot and unyielding. The tight embrace of Maura's arms didn't register right away, nor did the reassuring kisses and foreign tears mingling with her own. The ME's hand made comforting motions on her back, but Jane was unaware. It was as if she was outside looking in.

It wasn't until she felt a tiny figure jump upon her own that she came back to the present. The reality. The relief that was begging to wash over her.

"MAMA!"

Jane shook herself free of the emotional hold and wrapped her son into a strong embrace, one that was quickly covered by another set of arms. The small family sat on the ground for several long moments, not ready to willingly cutoff the overwhelming comfort.

"Ugh! I'm being crushed." A small voice erupted from between the two full grown women.

Frost couldn't help the giggle that escaped, or the solitary tear that fell from his amber-brown eyes. Korsak was quick to clap the young detective on the back in his own consoling gesture.

"Bradley." Jane held her son out at arms length and started to evaluate his physical well-being. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

The little boy was dressed in simple, thermal pajamas. No prints or superheroes like he would normally choose. He looked healthy. He was unmarked and seemingly happy. But he failed to hide the slight tremble of fear running through him.

"I'm ok." He kept his green eyes on the ground but spoke up clearly.

"Was there a man here with you?" A small nod confirmed Maura's question. Although the detectives were bursting with curiosities, it was more natural for a mother to question her son. "Did he hurt you?" Bradley shook his sandy head in the negative. "Do you know where he is?" Another no. They all knew it'd be difficult to get many answers from such a young boy, but maybe after a day in his own house Bradley would open up more without even realizing it.

Frost offered his coat and Jane wrapped Bradley in it before lifting him onto her hip. She checked to make sure the two detective's would be ok to perform the rest of the search without her. They insisted the women go home and enjoy the reunion. There was enough on the grounds to keep them busy for the rest of the day. With a quick thanks the family made their way back to the car and started the journey home.

The car was filled with a happy silence. One born of contentment and completion. Not surprisingly, Bradley was the first to break the silence. What did surprise both women was the words that left the child's mouth.

"Will I get to see Thomas again?" Bradley asked casually as he watched the scenery pass outside his window.

Jane and Maura shared an alarmed look. "Who's Thomas?" Jane asked, trying desperately to keep the panic from her voice and her heartbeat under control.

"My friend. We'd play together by the trees."

Jane immediately pulled the phone from her pocket and dialed the familiar number.

"Frost! He has another boy."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I feel the need to put out a reminder that this story is about the family and not really about the case. It's about the feelings and not so much the chase. This author's note is meant to be about the reminder and not the rhymes... ANYWAY! This chapter is a bit short but is all about the feels and the heals. Dammit, there I go again...**

Detective Rizzoli sat in the study of her home and stared out the window at no point in particular. She was busy focusing on the sounds surrounding her. Laughter filled her household once again, truly innocent laughter bounced off the walls. Gleeful shrieks echoed down the hallway as her wife chased after their son. Maura had done a preliminary check up once they had arrived home that morning. She was confident that Bradley was lucky and hadn't been hurt. After a promise of ice cream before dinner the small boy agreed to keep calm while his mother took a small sample of blood to test for drugs or anything else out of the ordinary. The results weren't back yet but both women believed that the sandy-haired boy was fine and boisterous as ever.

"Mama!" Bradley rushed through the door with a red face and launched himself at Jane's seated form. "Help!"

After the dark haired woman regained the wind that had been knocked from her, she put on a serious face and looked down at her son. "What's the matter, little man?" She was still in disbelief that they had found him on their first try, that feeling settled heavily with guilt as she thought of Thomas's parents. She couldn't guarantee that they'd ever know this feeling.

"Mommy's trying to tickle me to death!" His overly dramatic face made Jane laugh. The way his eyebrows met and his mouth screwed up into tight pucker was comical. She lifted him from her lap as she stood and made him stand on her chair. Her strong hands seemed unbelievably gentle as she smoothed down his polo shirt and secured the latches of his overalls.

"We can't let her get away with that now, can we?"

"NO!" He shook his head vigorously to emphasize the word.

"Hop on." Jane turned her back to Bradley and bent slightly at the knees. He leapt on her as if he were tackling a wild animal to the ground. His short arms wrapped around her neck and his chubby legs secured him on her hip. She turned to the door and put on the most serious face she could muster. "Let's go get her."

There was a swell of elation and an overwhelming rush of happiness that felt like a fist trying to make it's way from Jane's heart at that moment. It was as if the past five days never happened, but she was all too aware that they had. She ran from room to room dramatically bouncing her son just to hear him giggle harder. Tears were shining in hazel eyes by time the duo caught up to the ME that had managed to dodge them long enough and fell onto the couch. Tiny fingers wiggled between ribs while longer, well trained fingers indulged in soft curves. Three different yet similar faces all wore separate smiles. Smiles that held a hint of nice and a whole lot of naughty.

Long after the playful chase, a small bowl of ice cream, and chicken nuggets shaped like prehistoric predators, the women tucked their treasure into his bed.

"Good night, bud." Jane leaned down and let her lips rest against the soft skin of Bradley's forehead. The feel of him, the physical solidity of his being warmed her heart and started to mend all the fractures it suffered while he was missing. "I love you." She stood, a single tear made it's way down her cheek as she stepped aside and let his other mother say good night.

Maura was about to tell Bradley that if he needed anything he could come to their room or call for them, but she thought better of it. He already did those things. "Good night, Bradley." With a kiss atop his curly curls both women made their way to their own bedroom.

"I wonder if Frost and Korsak came up with any more leads. It makes me sick knowing that there's another boy out there...another set of parents going through what we went through. And we don't even know for sure what Bradley went through!" Jane started to pace, she was worked up and anxious to find the missing pieces.

"Let Barry and Vince worry about that right now and you should focus on getting some rest. We go back to work tomorrow and you'll be of no good use if you're exhausted. Bradley is fine, WE are fine." Maura kept her tone soft and even, not wanting to further upset the already agitated detective.

"I'm still not ok with him sleeping alone."

"Jane, we talked about this." Maura barely turned to look at her wife as she spoke and undressed. "It's important for his life to go back to normal. If we change anything or give him special treatment it'll put more focus on the traumatic events that took place over the past five days. He'll be more likely to open up and talk about what happened if he's in his everyday, comfortable environment." The blonde slid her tight jeans down toned thighs and off socked feet.

"I know. You're right." Jane surrendered and rubbed her tired eyes. The stressful morning and emotional afternoon were beginning to take their toll. When the ME was right, which was often, she knew there was no point in arguing. She ran her long fingers through her thick curls and sighed.

"And we put the extra baby monitor in his room. So if anything seems strange we can react quickly." Maura walked over to the lanky brunette in nothing but her long sweater. All her most private places where barely veiled. She wrapped her arms around her wife's neck causing her top to ride up, revealing the tantalizing hidden skin. Jane's arms were around her waist in an instant. Marked hands settled on the hem of the soft sweater.

"You always know how to make me feel better." A small smirk appeared on thin lips before Jane lowered her head to kiss Maura. The kiss lasted barely a second before Maura pulled away, leaving a disappointed detective standing before her.

"We need to get you ready for bed." Maura made quick work of the warm clothing Jane had been wearing all day. She removed her own top, making sure there wasn't a barrier between them.

They kissed again as they stood in the middle of their bedroom. The detective took the time to reacquaint herself with Maura's sinfully delicious lips. It had been five long days of sorrow and pain. She needed to wash away the despair and replace it with feelings the petite blonde always filled her with: love and passion. It wasn't just physical, but an emotional passion as well. Her tongue slid along a luscious bottom lip and she thought of all the ways Maura was able to heal her, save her, and engulf her in flames.

The two women fell into bed. Reveling in the feel of skin on skin and hands on intimate places. Every moment of silence was filled with muted demands and thank-yous. Acknowledgement of the support they each felt and the love that helped them survive everyday. Each kiss that was placed on Maura's soft skin was a reminder that Jane was always there for her and would fight for their separate lives, and their life as a whole. Every time Maura would run her hands over Jane's body she took extra care to love every scar as an individual the way a reader loves every page that makes up a story. When sensitive skin met in liquid passion both women knew that forever was a gift they'd never take for granted. That adoration, admiration, and awe were things that made the sun shine brighter in their every day. They recognized the fact that today is all they really had, that tomorrow was never promised and years from now were just an indulgence of their minds.

They shifted their focus to that moment, those pleasure filled minutes and the space their breathy moans filled. Maura's mind zeroed in on the feel of Jane entering her, body and soul and consuming her. Jane centered herself on the way her wife enveloped her and completed her. The way their bodies melded and formed a union based on loyalty and love.

The world became a flash of fiery white as both women saw a beautiful blanket of stars together. Stars that shined brightly for the doctor and the detective. It was as if an explosion ran through their joined body's and shook them down to the bone. There was something about the moment. Something about the shared intimacy of their perfectly time crescendo that caused Jane to lose all the control she ever had, every inch of her thick skin she had built up over the years dissipated, and tears sprung from dark eyes in unstoppable streams.

Maura was unaware of the breakdown until she heard a pained sob and felt the muscular body shake against her own as she lay beneath Jane. She wrapped her arms more tightly around her wife and whispered reassuring words into a hot ear. _Everything was alright. They were complete, safe, and home._ _They were unbreakable and she would love her until the day she died. No matter what obstacles tried to get in their way._

Jane fell asleep listening to Maura's steady heartbeat that night. A small puddle of her own tears settled between full breasts that rested beneath her cheek. Those tears baptized the haunted woman, erasing the nightmares and the fears. She would awaken alongside the sun with renewed determination and drive. Detective Jane Rizzoli would return to work the next day with a vengeance.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'd like to thank one particular reviewer/reader, caskett41097, for pointing out my tendency to write more of Jane's feelings than Maura's. This chapter was born from that. It was a challenge, but an enjoyable one, and I thank you for that. The last thing I wanted was to write a lopsided story. I hope I managed to keep it entertaining and give insight to both women's struggles. Once again, I do not own a thing except the ideas. Have I mentioned how much I love reviews?**

Maura awoke to a cold house, a warm wife, and the sounds of stirring children filling her household. She could tell by the small cackle and cooing noises that were coming from the baby monitor that Angie was ready for her morning feeding. The shuffling and laughter coming from the monitor they put in Bradley's room for comfort signaled that the older Rizzoli child was already at play. A satisfied smile spread across her perfect lips as her taut body stretched itself free of the sleepy trance it was under. A purr of contentment floated up from the pile of blankets and curly dark hair that occupied the space next to the ME. Maura stretched again, this time with purpose. This time as she spread her legs she wrapped one around a naked Jane Rizzoli and pressed her own bare flesh against the waking woman, wrapping her arms around the prone form.

"Good morning." Maura whispered into Jane's ear before placing a kiss on a pink lobe.

Jane raised herself onto her right elbow and regarded her wife. The deep shadows that haunted her normally vibrant hazel eyes were almost gone. She didn't seem as troubled and she appeared well rested and satisfied. Jane smirked at that final realization before claiming the mouth before her in a slow kiss. The kiss wasn't meant to stir an already simmering passion, it was meant to awaken and love. Nothing more, nothing less.

"It is a good morning, isn't it?" Jane's throat was tight from just waking up as well as the surge of emotion that took over the previous night. She kept her dark eyes on the angelic face looking back at her and welcomed a sense of calm she never thought possible. Her head was clear and her heart was full. It was time to get back to work. "What time is it?" Her long body twisted to see just how much daylight was filtering through their thick curtain.

"It's almost six am. We still have a few minutes to just enjoy each other's company." Maura finished her sentence with an open mouth kiss to Jane's pulse point.

"Mmm," the detective giggled when her wife's long eyelashes gave her sensitive neck butterfly kisses. "That sounds like-" the still serenity of their early morning sanctuary was shattered by a sharp cry. A startling cry that only a small set of lungs inside a very hungry baby was capable of. "it's never gonna happen."

Maura threw her whole body back on the bed and grumbled in a way that was more characteristic of her dark-haired counterpart. She quickly rose and wrapped herself Jane's navy blue, terry cloth robe, one she found herself wearing more often than the expensive silk she had defended over the years. Maybe it was the way the cotton terry material felt like a warm hug, or maybe it was the way it smelled of Jane. Either way Maura would never verbally admit to her dependency on the robe, but the smile on Jane's face let her know that she'd already been figured out.

"I'll feed Angie if you want to see what kind of trouble Bradley is getting into."

Jane was across the room putting on her most comfortable and warm sweats. "What makes you think he's getting into trouble?"

Maura leaned one hip against the doorway and crossed her arms. "He's a Rizzoli." Three simple words won the debate and Maura walked her way to their daughter victoriously.

xxxxxxx

"When did your mother arrive?"

"Very late last night. She wanted to be here the moment I told her Bradley went missing, but there wasn't an available flight from Paris until yesterday morning." Maura stated as she packed a small container of pudding into Bradley's Incredible Hulk lunchbox. The couple had managed a quick shower each and Maura finished her morning routine while Jane fed Bradley his breakfast. The blonde kept her attire simple for her first day back, a black blazer, matching pencil skirt, and a colorful printed silk blouse. Very simple for Maura Rizzoli.

"And you're sure she's up for babysitting Angie today? She's not too tired?" Jane wasn't concerned for Angie, she was more concerned for Constance Isles' wafer thin patience. She was wonderful with the children, but Rizzoli's were never easy to handle one-on-one.

"Bradley! We're leaving as soon as Nana gets here." Maura's strong motherly voice carried through the house. She turned to look at Jane who was standing with a hip against the kitchen counter. She took a moment to enjoy the sight. Detective Jane Rizzoli was back in action today. She was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a magenta button-up underneath. It was crisp, wrinkle free, and tight in all the right places. Maura loved Jane in her simple T's as well, but there was something so alluring about that long, lean body, built of strong bone and powerful muscle, in such professional attire. Her gun, badge, and phone were clipped on her belt and proudly on display. No matter how many years went by, Maura was still powerless to Jane's natural sex appeal.

"Maura?" Jane looked at the doctor's dreamy expression with a mixture of amusement and intrigue.

Maura shook her head, causing her caramel curls to dance along her shoulders. "She'll be fine."

The doorbell rang at that moment and Maura ran to get it.

"Hello, mother." One gave the other a quick peck on each cheek before Maura lead the stoic woman through the door.

"Maura, my dear, you look tired but better than I imagined you would." Constance Isles entered the home with her usual grace. She deposited her small suitcase to the right of the entryway before making her way to her daughter-in-law.

Jane bit back a retort, wanting to defend Maura and point out wonderful she looked always and especially under these circumstances.

"Jane." Constance gave a quick peck on only one cheek.

"Constance. It's lovely to see you again." The brunette kept the sarcasm down to a minimum. For the first year of their marriage Jane struggled with Maura's mother, never knowing where she stood and how she felt about their relationship. But over the years she had come to realize that it was just Constance. She was never warm or overly emotional, even after her near death experience and everything they went through with Paddy and Hope. She was who she was and Jane had grown to accept it. She also knew that if Constance hadn't approved of their union, she would have openly voiced that opinion a long time ago.

"Nana!" Bradley came running around the corning and straight for Constance. Jane didn't have a second to stop him, to warn him about the older woman's perfectly pressed maroon suit and how the material most likely stains just from breathing on it. His small arms were already around her and to Jane's disbelief, the thin woman was on her knees in an instant returning the hug.

"How is my big boy doing?" Her thin arms were hugging the small boy as tightly as they could manage. A small tear escaped down a beautifully aged cheek.

"Good. I have to get going to school, can't be late!" Bradley let go of his grandmother and walked over to retrieve his near-empty book bag.

Jane and Maura looked back to one another, both women were struggling to keep their emotions from getting the better of them. They thought the reunion between Angela and Bradley would be significant, but they never expected or considered the way their son touched this woman's life. It was heartwarming to say the least.

"Maura, Jane, I don't mean to be rude but which one of you dressed Bradley this morning?"

The odd question brought both women back to the moment and their attention turned immediately to their son.

"We let him dress himself. Out of a certain selection of clothing of course." Maura answered cooly, not really in the mood to defend her mothering techniques.

Two sets of eyes scanned the small figure standing at attention. Bradley was bouncing a bit, ready to get out from under the scrutinizing gaze and back to school. He wore a navy blue and beige striped sweater, red corduroy pants, his heavy winter jacket and shoes. Two different shoes. One was red, blue, and white with Spider-man swinging proudly on the side and the other was an adorably small work boot.

"Nice shoes." Jane said through a laugh.

"I couldn't decide and I figured there's no rules sayin' I can't." Bradley wasn't about to argue because in his mind he already won.

Maura leaned in close to Jane and said in a whisper, "Go get his other boot and we can work on him in the car." The lanky brunette was already on her mission once Maura turned to say goodbye to her mother who was holding Angie in her arms. She kissed them both and gave Constance the necessary instructions.

"Dear, if you recall I did spend quite a bit of time with Bradley while he was an infant. I think I know what to do." Constance stated with a slightly condescending tone, a tone that Jane never let her get away with.

"A baby Bradley and Angie are two totally different monsters." Jane said pointedly when she arrived back with the shoe.

"Hey! I'm no monster!" Bradley was highly offended. The morning was not off to a smooth start.

Both women kissed their daughter and Constance before heading out the door.

The short car ride to Bradley's school was filled with (far from) interesting facts about the effects where two different shoes could have on a persons posture. Maura was beginning to lose faith in her ability to google-talk her son into submission when Jane decided to put her out of her misery.

"Hey bud," she parked the car curbside in front of the small elementary school and turned in her seat to look into vibrant green eyes. "The boots look really cool with the rest of your outfit. I mean Spider-Man is awesome, but even I wish I could look as cool as you do with those boots. Hey babe," she turned to look at her wife, giving her a subtle wink before speaking again, "do you think I could get a pair of cool boots like that for Christmas?"

"If you're good."she have Jane a warm smile before looking back to their son. His face was a study of concentration, he was weighing his options so seriously it almost pained his mothers.

"He reminds me of you when you're trying to decide which shoes to wear." Jane mumbled quietly from the side of her mouth. The squeak she emitted after Maura's hearty pinch wasn't as quiet.

"Ok. You're right, Mama." Bradley shook his head definitively and started to unlace his sneaker.

After a quick change of his shoe, Maura and Jane walked Bradley to his classroom and said a quick goodbye. It was obvious that both women were having a hard time letting go but they knew it was for the best. Jane gave his teacher strict orders to call her if anything seemed off, no matter how small.

They drove in silence to the precinct, both minds were still back at the school with their son. Once Jane parked the small SUV they made their way to the building. She would normally drive them in her department issued sedan, but she left it at the BPD when she went on leave a week earlier.

Jane and Maura approached the interior elevators hand-in-hand. They weren't normally like this at work, but they weren't quite ready to sever the closeness they had felt all morning.

"We did the right thing, sending him back to school so soon?" Jane spoke quietly in the elevator, she insisted on seeing Maura down to the morgue. Just as the doors opened her wife turned to her with a small smile.

"It's all about a normal routine, Jane." She have her a small peck on the lips, not caring who may be around. "I'll see you for lunch. I love you."

"I love you, too." Jane watched Maura's curvy figure walk away before it disappeared behind closing doors.

Maura made her way to her office and started to sort through various files immediately. There were several bodies that came through the morgue in the past week. Auto collision victims, a few natural deaths, a horrific drowning, and two unsolved murders. The Chief Medical Examiner had her hands full. She sat straight up and dutifully started with the first file.

Page after page of reports started to blur together after three hours. Maura found her focus wavering and she couldn't help it. Her thoughts kept going back to Bradley. The innocent look on her sons face when they discovered him in a place he certainly didn't belong. She was ripped from her thoughts when one of her techs came in to let her know that her next autopsy was prepared.

"Dr. Rizzoli." A young man tentatively knocked on the door frame of Maura's office. "You're all set for the autopsy."

"Thank you." He disappeared immediately.

After changing into her scrubs and stating the exterior findings into her voice recorder, Maura picked up her scalpel and held it against the firm flesh of the cadaver. She froze. Her eyes locked on the small red spot where the tip of the blade pierced the skin.

Every thought she locked away came to the forefront of her mind. Every unanswered question and every minute with Bradley she almost lost forever played in her thoughts, a taunting voice was the narrator. _What if they hadn't found him when they did? What if the sick bastard who took him chose Bradley over Thomas that day?_ _How did he manage to get him in the first place?_ Maura looked down at the sound of hard metal hitting the floor. Realization struck her at once. She shouldn't be there, she should be with her son.

She made quick work of changing and cleaning up. Maura found a replacement ME in record time and was in their SUV and on her way to Bradley's school before she could even process what she was doing.

xxxxxxx

"That makes no sense!" Jane's voice was well above an acceptable volume for the bullpen.

"But it's all we have." Korsak spoke carefully as he watched the tall woman pace back and forth in front of his desk with her hands on her hips.

Jane's jacket was long forgotten on the back of her chair. Her magenta shirt was no longer pristine and was riddled with wrinkles from long hours of sitting and the sleeves being rolled up and unrolled several times.

"How could we not have anything current on this guy?!" She looked at Frost with fire in her eyes. "No use of credit cards?" She ticked off each thing they _didn't_ have on her fingers. "No cell phone? He doesn't have an active back account, nothing?" She knew it wasn't her partners fault. She knew he couldn't make the information appear but she couldn't contain her rising anger.

"I've been through everything, Jane. EVERYTHING. This guy is a ghost as of two years ago." Detective Frost leaned forward and started typing again. "He doesn't have a vehicle registered to him and his only known address was that orchard."

"And what did we find there?" They'd been over the evidence a hundred times since she arrived that morning and Jane was ready to do it a hundred more.

"Three sheds that were prepared just like Bradley's. But he was the only child and person on site." Korsak spoke up again. His reading glasses were perched on the tip of his nose as he flipped through the pages of his pocket notebook. "There was plenty of evidence that the guy was there but no hard proof that the orchard was the location where he hurt the children." He took the glasses off and placed them on the desk in front of him.

"Any trace?"

"Nothing yet. We're still waiting to hear back from the lab." Frost said with his head down. There was no worse feeling than a dead end, especially in such a personal case.

Jane looked at her watch and realized it was almost four in the afternoon. Well past the time that her and Maura usually had lunch. She hadn't heard from her wife since before noon, Jane assumed she was just as consumed by the case as she was.

"I'm gonna head downstairs to have lunch with Maura. I'll poke my head in the lab and see if I can find anything out." She picked the jacket up off her chair and made her way to the elevators and jabbed her thumb impatiently into the down arrow.

When Jane stepped from the elevators and into the morgue she was immediately greeted by Senior Criminalist Susie Chang.

"Detective Rizzoli, what can I do for you?" She held files firmly against her white coat.

"I'm just here to see if Dr. Rizzoli was interested in getting lunch. Why? Do you have something for me?" Jane could hardly keep the excitement from her voice.

"Uh, no. I don't. I um-" the attractive Asian woman readjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Dr. Rizzoli left for the day."

Jane's eyes widened at the unexpected information. Since when did Maura take an early day and not tell her? "When?"

"She left around one o'clock." Susie fidgeted nervously. Somehow Jane had become more intimidating since marrying her hero.

Without a goodbye Jane made her way back to the elevators and pulled her phone from its belt-clip. She sent Frost a text message explaining the situation and telling him she was heading home. His reply was short and simple, telling her to take all the time she needed. Thankfully her unmarked was right where she left it last week.

When Jane arrived home the house was dark and quiet. She opened the front door carefully, not wanting to scare anyone that may be inside. Her gut wasn't telling her that danger lurked somewhere in the shadows, but she wasn't going to risk letting her guard down. She entered the house with her left hand on her firearm, ready to draw if necessary. Jane shut the door, removed her heavy boots and continued into the living room. All the curtains were drawn and there was a small lamp illuminating the space from the corner. The fireplace was going, the warmth immediately fusing comfort into her bones.

"Maur?" Jane spoke up through a throat tight with terror.

"Shhh." The small sound came from the couch.

When Jane finally approached the piece of furniture her heart sank at what she saw. Maura was curled up against the back with Bradley curled into the curve of her body. A thin blanket covered both of them and the little boy was fast asleep. When Jane looked to her wife, eyes full of questions, every inquiry fell away when she saw the dark spot on the upholstery where it caught all the ME's fallen tears. Maura's face was swollen and her eyes where red from crying. Jane fell to her knees in front of the frail looking woman.

"Are you ok?" The brunette couldn't hide the concern or relief from her voice. She had automatically assumed the worst case, and in reality no one was hurt, but Maura was clearly hurting.

"I wasn't ready, Jane." Fresh tears started to fall at the small admission. "I just wasn't ready."

"It's ok." Jane ran her long fingers through Maura's disheveled golden waves. She placed a gentle kiss on her wife's warm forehead. "It's ok."

"I'm going to take the rest of the week off and keep Bradley home with me. I'll make sure to keep in close contact with the lab." Maura wiped hastily at her tears and started to move. Suddenly she felt silly.

"Hey, you stay right there." Jane eased her back down. "I'll put together something's really simple for dinner and we'll all sit and watch a movie. How does that sound?" She cupped Maura's cheek and ran the pad of her thumb along a quivering chin.

"It sounds perfect." Maura nodded and kissed the pucker of skin in the center of Jane's palm. The small gesture and the admittance to being not ready for normalcy allowed the doctor to believe that she was capable of healing.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! Life has been my own brand of crazy lately. I've managed to update "Sing to Me" more frequently, but my focus is now back on completing my trilogy. I've enjoyed writing this family and their ups and downs. They've taken my imagination to unimaginable places...if that makes any sense. Anyway, read and review please. Feedback feeds a writer's soul. **

The next four days crawled along. There was no new evidence, no one found a record of a missing Thomas in the area, and everything else seemed eerily quiet. Work was hell for Jane Rizzoli, but her home life was the complete opposite. Every night she would arrive home to a full house. Children playing, her brothers arguing, and two mothers talking calmly over the preparation of a homemade dinner. Each time she swung the door to her home open, Jane had to fight back the overwhelming emotion that clawed at her throat. She questioned how she had managed to get so lucky.

After a large, French experimentation dish for dinner, the Rizzoli-Isles clan retired to the sitting room to watch the kids play in front of the fire. Bradley and TJ were concentrating on their next strategic move in their favorite game: balancing random objects on Bass' shell. Maura didn't approve of the game, but Jane always secretly joined in on the fun, slyly handing her son and nephew various objects she'd find entertaining. The adults were passing around a drowsy Angie, leaving the children to their mischief. Jane rolled a tumbler of scotch between her palms as she watched Frankie bounce and coo at her daughter.

"Hey, little brother." She got Frankie's attention right away. "When do you plan on getting one for yourself?" She nodded her head in the direction of the red headed bundle of gurgling snores.

"Yeah!" Angela immediately chimed in. Francesco was the only one of her children without a family of his own. And she wasn't getting any younger.

Frankie's dark brown eyes immediately narrowed in his sister's direction. He did not want to be the center of attention when it came to the topic of grand kids, but the only way out was to give his mother something small to chew on for a while.

"You remember Suzette, right?" He questioned the small group.

"Of course we remember Suzette. The two of you have been off and on more times than me and Casey!" Jane snorted at her own joke, no one else found the mention of her ex-husband funny. She cast a quick, cautious glance to the woman next to her, wanting to make sure she didn't say anything too wrong. Maura had a small, entertained smirk on her lips and she just shook her head at Jane's odd humor. _All good._ The detective thought to herself.

"Who's Suzette?" Constance leaned in and questioned an uncharacteristically quiet Angela Rizzoli.

Without removing her eyes from her son's face she leaned back and answered Maura's mother. "This lovely young girl he met a few years back. He got a flat tire and she pulled over to help him. Talk about role reversal!" Angela laughed before she turned her full attention back to what Frankie was about to say.

"Well, I was thinking about making things a little more permanent with her. There's obviously a reason why we keep finding our way back to each other."

Simultaneously the only married couple in the room spoke under their breath: "That wasn't the case for me." Jane whispered. "That's so romantic." Maura spoke alongside her wife. They shared a quick look and a knowing smile. They couldn't be more different and yet so perfect for one another.

"Are you going to propose?" Constance Isles was completely enthralled by the latest Rizzoli news.

"Nah, nothing like that just yet. I'm going to ask her to move in with me and then we'll take it from there." He looked proud of his mature decision.

It was Jane's turn to mutter how romantic he was, except her words dripped with sarcasm.

"Way to go, bro!" Tommy clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Congratulations, Frankie. She's a lucky woman." Lydia spoke up as she looped her arm around Tommy's. "All the Rizzoli kids are great catches."

Angela couldn't help but blush at the indirect compliment. She had to agree, she raised three incredible children. Some may have strayed along the way, taking the wrong road a few too many times, but they all ended up in the same happy place.

"I can agree with that!" Maura raised her wine glass and inclined her body enough to make contact with each guest's glass in turn. Once she returned herself firmly at her wife's side she whispered in her ear, "And after years of research I can definitively say that the best Rizzoli belongs to me." She placed a chaste kiss on Jane's cheek before sitting back.

"And I always will." Jane's deep brown eyes shimmered with love and as much happiness as she could muster at the moment. Her eyes looked from Maura's eyes to her plump lips. The shrill ring of her cell broke the moment. "It's Frost." she explained and excused herself to answer it.

"What's up, Frost?"

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting but we got something." His words were rushed and his voice was shaking. Jane couldn't tell if it was from activity or excitement.

"What is it?" She had no patience for a guessing game. Jane was already emptying her glass in the sink and making her way to grab her coat. Thankfully she was still dressed for work.

"A trooper found a vehicle abandoned on the side of the interstate right outside Boston. It's a '96 jeep wrangler. No registration, VIN was removed, and fake plates. It looks like it ran out of gas."

"What else?" Jane knew there was more, she could tell by the way her partner was leading with his words.

"Inside was a bag of children's clothing. The pajamas Bradley was wearing the night he was kidnapped were in it."

"Send me the directions. We're on our way." Jane ended the call and turned back to the living room full of eyes on her. "Maura, we need to go." Maura was dressed a little more casual in jeans and a red sweater, but appropriate nonetheless.

Both women walked out the door minutes later without the smallest excuse to their guests. Each and every person in that room, save for the children, had been waiting for a break in the case. Praying to any God they believed in to help justice come to those who deserved it. So no reasons were needed when the duo rushed from the house that evening, their guests just poured another drink and waited patiently.

xxxxxxx

Small snowflakes had started to fall as Jane and Maura pulled up to the roped off vehicle. Snow made every investigation that much harder, but in this case it was their worst enemy. They were relying on every bit of trace evidence they could find and the clock was ticking on it's reliability.

"Walk me through it, Frost." Jane approached as she put on her standard blue latex gloves. Maura already made her way to the car, bag in gloved hand and ready to examine and extract.

"Officer Grimes discovered the vehicle at around 6:40 this evening. He approached slowly and called it into the station immediately. Once he discovered it was abandoned he did a preliminary check to ID the owner. There's nothing in the glovebox but he found the bag stuffed against the foot of the backseat." Frost read over his notes clearly and concisely.

"Was the engine still warm when Officer Grimes found it?" Jane questioned as her trained eyes scanned the scene. The set of tire tracks following the vehicle from the slick roadway was already beginning to turn white.

"Yes."

"That was almost an hour and a half ago, they couldn't have gotten far. Either someone picked them up or they got a cab. I can't imagine that a man with a small boy walking along the interstate would go unnoticed. Get a list of every cab company and find out if any calls came out to this area." Jane barked orders at an officer nearby.

"Detective?" The young man was making a mistake with his next words. "That's a lot of cab companies."

"I don't give a shit if there's a thousand! Get the names, the numbers, and the calls!" The tall detective advanced upon the rookie, her voice dangerously low.

"Jane?" Maura tried in vain to get the hotheaded detective's attention.

"If you have a problem," Jane paused to read the officer's name, "Officer Hayes, I'll make sure your badge is revoked by the morning."

"Jane!" Maura finally tore the brunette's attention from her threats and back to the matter at hand. "You need to see this.

Jane walked over to where Maura was bent over the driver's seat and craned her neck to see what was found. She watched intently as Maura's fingers were inserted between the slots of one of the vents on the dashboard and pulled the plastic piece from it's place. Within the small cavern was a pouch made from some sort of fuzzy material.

"It appears to be made of flannel." Maura simply stated before Jane had the chance to question.

The pouch was handed to the detective and she turned back to get her partner's attention. There was a significant weight to it and the sound of the contents clicking together were already turning her stomach. Once all the attention was on her, Jane emptied it into the palm of her right hand and closed her eyes when her suspicions were confirmed. They found the teeth, his trophies.

"Put them back in the pouch, I need to examine them." Maura reached out for the evidence.

"It's their teeth, Maur."

"Yes, they're teeth. They're all incisors or upper right centrals, but I'll have to do further testing to prove they belong to the victims that were found and-"

Jane cut off her ramblings before Maura had the chance to finish. "They will. This isn't a coincidence and I think it's a pretty safe opportunity for you to take a guess!" Her intense state bore into the shaken hazel looking back at her.

"I'll have to test to see if any were extracted recently."

Jane realized that it wasn't all about the past cases for Maura, it was about knowing whether Thomas' time was about to run out. Her ire immediately melted away just as the snowflakes that hit her face did, and the next necessary steps of the investigation were becoming clear.

"Ok. Let's get everything back to the lab, including the car. I want molds taken of the tire track so we can compare them to the ones found at the orchard." Jane started to list everything she needed to take another step closer to closing this case. She stared at a blank spot on the ground as if everything was listed before her. The rush of adrenaline she felt at new evidence was making her words come out faster than she intended.

"We're already on it, Rizzoli." A female voice called out from behind the vehicle. The tech was kneeling on the ground at the rear of the truck where the bumper had kept the snow from covering the tracks. She was already pouring the thick liquid onto the ground.

"Alright. Let's go. Ready?" Jane questioned Maura as the ME removed her glove.

"Yes. We have to move quick though. The snow could easily wash away any particulates we could use to tie the truck to the orchard as well once it melts." Maura said in a concerned tone.

"You heard the woman!" Jane called out to the tow truck that arrived less than a minute earlier. "Let's move!" She motioned her hand in a circle above her head, signaling everyone to wrap things up. "Frost! Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jane took his muscular arm and moved them to the side, out of earshot of Maura.

"What's up?" He knew something was going on if she didn't want the doctor to hear what she was about to say.

"I'm going to take Maura home." The shock that registered in his bright eyes at her words made Jane smile.

"She's gonna want in on this Jane. You know how she is with lab tests and results."

"You don't have to tell me, partner. But she's still not a hundred percent and I think it'd be best for us to go home and be with our family. Just make sure Chang handles EVERYTHING. Don't let anyone else touch those teeth, got it?" At his affirmative nod she continued. "Call me if you get anything substantial and text me with every bit of information you get. Double check on those cab reports too."

"But Hayes was on that." Frost looked at her with confusion.

"Yeah but I don't trust him to do it right or quickly enough."

"Then why did you bark at him the way you did?" He was already smiling.

"Gotta keep my reputation in check." Jane smiled, dimples proudly on display, and shrugged before she turned to join her wife in their car.

After a short but heated argument and a long car ride of silence, the couple entered their home just before ten o'clock. After removing Maura's wool jacket and then her own down coat, they parted ways. Maura on her way to check on the kids that were already asleep. Jane looked for the rest of their guests. Tommy and Lydia had gone, and Constance retired to the guest room for the evening. In the living room Frankie had his feet up on the coffee table and was asleep in front of the fire. Angela was buzzing around in the kitchen, cleaning up while preparing a ready to bake meal for the family to throw in the oven the next evening.

"Hey, Ma." Jane entered the kitchen, placed a small kiss on her mother's cheek before grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. Her cold nose caused the other woman to shiver.

"Any good news?" Angela dared to ask.

"No. More evidence, but nothing for sure." Jane took a swig of her beer.

"I'm surprised you're home so early." Angela scrutinized her daughter. By the way the tall woman was shifting her weight from foot to foot and her short nails were picking at the label on her bottle she knew something was agitating her child.

"I want to be there, going over everything, but I'm worried about Maura. I know she wants to be there too, I'm just not sure she's ready. We got into it pretty bad in the car on the way home. I don't want her to be mad at me for protecting her." Her voice was barely above a whisper, making her appear as a sensitive child.

Angela looked at her Janie, her heart swelling with pride at what an outstanding person she had become. The most stubborn and hot-headed of the Rizzoli clan grew to become the most caring and gentle of them all. "Just give her some time, Jane. She feels helpless, and she hates feeling helpless almost as much as you do."

Jane rubbed her hands over her face briskly and let a small laugh escape at her mother's words of wisdom and truth. Her phone buzzed on her hip, effectively tearing her attention from her mother. It was a text from Maura, her wife Maura who was just a few rooms away. For the blonde to be texting and not talking made Jane's face twist with fear and sadness.

"What is it, Janie?" Angela stepped forward and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder for support.

"Maura's _texting_ me." Before she even reading the message she looked to her mother for strength.

"You must've really upset her!"

"Thanks, Ma. I feel so much better now." Jane grumbled and sighed in exasperation. She looked at her phone, thumb hovering above the small spot she needed to touch in order to bring the text to life. _Breathe_. She hit the button.

_"Jane. Call Korsak NOW and tell him to get here as soon as possible. After you hang up you need to come to Bradley's bedroom. Act normal."_

Jane just stared at the message, trying to decide whether or not to panic. She opted to ask Maura a question before she decided how to feel.

_"Is he ok?"_

_"He's talking about Thomas. HURRY_." Maura responded immediately.

Jane immediately dialed Korsak's number and told him to get there as quickly as possible.

"What is it?" Angela asked.

"I think my son is about to help us break the case." Jane looked to her mother with a look of disbelief.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It has been WAY too long! I apologize for the delayed update. It won't happen again, I promise! I hope you all still have some interest in this story, I plan on wrapping it up pretty soon. Thank you for all the follows, reviews, and favorites! I'd love to see some more reviews. Anyway, the disclaimer still holds true, nothing belongs to me but the story-line and the Rizzoli children. Enjoy!**

Detective Barry Frost entered through the large wooden door and into the Rizzoli household quietly. It was just after nine o'clock in the evening, laughter roared from the large, casual dining room situated in the back of the house. As his muscular form inched closer, footsteps falling lightly in an effort to not disturb, he listened to two distinct laughs and the absence of one he knew all too well. Frost stood in the entryway, shoulder against the doorframe and allowed himself to bask in the love that radiated from the small family.

The young detective was always grateful for Jane's presence in his life. At first he was honored to be partnered with such an accomplished, impressive, and talented detective. Next came the wonder he felt at the woman Jane Rizzoli is. The fire inside her, the love inside her heart. The fondness he felt quickly turned into a schoolboy crush and in the blink of an eye that became pure admiration. Jane was his family, he had become a fundamental part of the Rizzoli clan, and for that he continuously counted his blessings.

And then there was Maura. He wasn't sure how or when, but the woman who was once cold and connected to only the deceased became just as important to him as the fiery brunette. Maura and Jane became the yin and yang that kept his life balanced. He looked at the caramel blonde, dressed in black yoga pants and a large gray sweater, and his smile grew wider. She was laughing loudly at something her son had just mumbled, it was probably something laced with his beginners level Rizzoli sarcasm. Frost always knew Maura would make a great mother, he even reassured the doctor on several occasions, and his pride swelled at just how right he was.

The gentle detective stepped further into the room and his amber eyes locked with dark hazel, hazel that lit up the moment they locked on him. A warm smile spread across his face in response. He was here for work, he should be all business, but the loving feelings this family illicit would always show on his handsome face.

"Barry!" Maura smiled back at their guest. "I'm so glad you could make it. Care to join us?" She swept her hand in the direction of the cluttered wooden table. Several game boxes were stacked on the tabletop, a board was open and pieces were scattered about.

"Only if I get to play the next round." Frost looked to the little boy seated to Maura's left for permission. Dressed in a plain red T-shirt and Ironman pajama pants, Bradley was kneeling on his chair, elbows on the table as most of his body leaned on the surface.

"Uncle Frost is on my team." The little boy responded after he strategically considered whether Frost could help him win, even if their game didn't have teams.

"You got it, bud." Frost walked up behind the duo and ruffled Bradley's sandy curls, a split second of consideration was spent on deciding whether to do the same to Maura for a laugh, but Frost knew better. "I just have to talk to your mom first." His eyes shifted to Maura before he questioned her. "Where is Jane?"

"She's in the kitchen making me a cup of tea. Help yourself to anything you'd like. I just got this delicious bai hoa white tip oolong, it's quite relaxing." The ME beamed across the room, encouraging her friend to try it.

"I think I'll be ok with a beer, but thank you." Frost chuckled as he turned to the kitchen. Loosening his patterned, sapphire tie along the way.

Jane was leaning against the granite countertop, waiting for water to come to a boil. Her dark eyebrows were knit together closely, deep creases riddled her forehead and a flame was present in her dark eyes. Those brown eyes were trained on no particular spot, just in the direction of the floor.

"What's up, partner?" Frost approached carefully, taking a quick detour to the refrigerator for a beer.

Jane broke from her reverie to meet his concerned gaze. The look on her face never softened, never disappeared, she just turned her back to the man in the room and watched the steam rise up from the kettle.

"Jane? You ok?" A large hand splayed on a bony shoulder in comfort.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine." Frost knew his partner, he knew when something was wrong and he always knew to let her talk when she was ready. But tonight, as a detective he had to push. "What's wrong?"

The shoulder beneath his hand started to shake, causing him to prepare himself for an emotional Jane Rizzoli. She was such a strong woman, a woman that always kept her emotions in check, that always made him a little uncomfortable in her moments of weakness. Soon the brunette turned around to reveal a giant grin on her face and tears of laughter in her eyes.

"The kid's a shark." She managed the few words between fits of giggles.

"Excuse me?" Jane's partner was thoroughly confused.

"I even got a warning! 'Don't go easy on him.' My wife says. 'He'll never learn to lose gracefully if he always wins at home.' Great advice from the wise Dr. Rizzoli." Jane scoffed as her concentration returned to the boiling water, the whistling sound filling the room.

"And?" Frost was almost afraid to ask.

"AND? I just got my ass handed to me by a five year old in Chutes and Ladders!" Jane didn't even bother to try to hide her shame and embarrassment.

"Make sure the tea doesn't steep for longer than three minutes or else it'll turn bitter." Maura called from the other room.

"You got it, Sweetheart." Jane replied while her eyes were still on Frost's laughing form. She just shook her head, stole the opened beer from her partner's hand, took a swig, and carried both beverages into the dining room turned game room.

**xxxxxxx**

"That's another round that goes to Bradley." Maura announced and gave her son a high-five.

"This is unbelievable." Frost sat back and loosened his tie further. His normally pristine appearance was ruffled by the small boy across from him. The sleeves of his powder blue shirt were rolled up to his elbows and several buttons at his collar were unfastened.

"If he has the Isles brain and Rizzoli charm, we're in trouble." Jane leaned over and whispered in her fellow detective's ear. They both laughed at the truth in the statement.

"Can we play war next?" Bradley proposed.

"Yeah!" The deep, masculine voice boomed in the quiet atmosphere. "That's my game." Frost jumped up while clapping his hands to retrieve a deck of cards, unaware of the glance shared between the two women.

"What's war?" Jane questioned, brown eyes still locked on knowing hazel.

"You've never played war, Rizzoli?!" Frost's flabbergasted expression was erased from his handsome features the moment he noticed Jane's glare. _She obviously knows something I don't know._ He thought as he settled quietly.

"Tell us about the game, Bradley." Maura quietly urged her son to speak. She had been waiting for him to say something, anything about his time away from home. He had mentioned small details when they were alone but his normally loose lips stilled once his Mama entered the room. Adding Barry to the equation caused the sandy-haired boy to become more boisterous, but less forthcoming with important details. She silently hoped that this would somehow turn out to be significant.

"Um.." Bradley's light eyebrows knit in concentration as he tried to recall the game he only played a few times. "You wanna have a better card than the other person." His chubby hands started to turn over cards of various suits, his fingers so small that they barely controlled the thick paper. "Like, fours would obviously beat twos, anyone would know that."

"Of course." Jane smiled that sideways smile that she reserved for those who truly owned her heart.

"But..but if you have an ace? If you have an ace..." Bradley started to trip over his words and repeat himself as he grew more excited. "N-nothing beats an ace."

"My Pop taught me how to play war. Who taught you?" Frost worked his way into the juvenile interrogation smoothly.

"I used to play with Thomas all the time.." The small voice grew quiet at the mention of the other boy.

"Did Thomas teach you, Bradley?" Maura questioned and was answered by a blonde head shaking, telling her no.

"Who taught you?" Jane's voice grew firm and Bradley started to squirm due to the sudden shift in attitude. When his Mama spoke so seriously, he was usually in trouble.

"Sweetie, you did nothing wrong." The ME spoke up, trying to soothe the little boy. She wanted nothing more than to wrap him in her protective embrace, but she knew the next words from his mouth would be important.

"Why does Mama look mad?"

"Mama's not mad, that's just her face." Maura smiled in Jane's direction, instantly calming the detective and receiving a playful glare in return.

"Uncle Wally taught how to play war and a bunch of other games." It was obvious that Bradley's childhood innocence lead him to believe the man who took him was harmless and maybe even fun, but at the age of five his Rizzoli instincts were already blossoming. Bradley knew something was wrong. "He never hurt me." He said, barely above a whisper.

"I'll still hurt him, though." Jane mumbled under her breath.

Maura stood and walked over to where their son was seated. She lifted him into her arms and sat down again with him on her lap.

"Was Thomas already there when you got there?" Bradley seemed more responsive to Maura's gentle, smooth voice so she continued questioning him. Bradley just nodded, keeping his bright green eyes on the cards scattered before him. "Do you think Uncle Wally ever hurt Thomas?" The doctor's stomach twisted as she asked the question.

Bradley shrugged his shoulders before speaking again. "He was supposed to take us to his house by a lake to teach us to fish. But he only took Thomas." There was a hint of sadness in the boys voice. It was as if the neglect that saved his life hurt him anyway. As soon as the melancholy had settled it had just as quickly disappeared when Bradley spun on his mother's lap to face the dark-skinned detective. "Will YOU teach me to catch fishies, Uncle Frost?" The eagerness in his voice melted all three adults at the table.

"Think you can hook a worm without losing your lunch, Uncle Frost?" Jane mocked as she stood to clean the table. Removing the dishes used for their late night snack of cookies.

"Of course, little man! As soon as the weather starts to warm up I'll take you." A pink tongue made a quick appearance in Jane's direction before he gave a small hand a high five."It's late, I gotta go. Early morning tomorrow." Frost rose and shrugged into his suit jacket as he followed Jane into the kitchen, before he was fully through the doorway she was already rattling off commands.

"Look up every inch of property that pervert's family EVER owned. Anything near a pond, lake, the ocean, even so much as a goddamned puddle- I want the address and I want it searched! If it's not under his name look for every acronym, palindrome, anything! Scramble, unscramble, and re-scramble." She slammed an empty china dish onto the counter with enough force to cause the crumbs left behind to jump and scatter.

"Jane?" Maura inquired from the other room where she was packing up games after hearing the noise.

"It's ok, I just dropped a plate." She kept her heated eyes on her partner as she spoke.

"I'm going to tuck Bradley in. Come to bed when you're done."

Jane ran her long fingers through her unruly curls. A sure sign of how frustrated she was feeling, how helpless she felt.

"It'll be done, Rizzoli. Get some sleep." Frost made his way out of the house, not wanting the agitated woman to lose control or argue with him.

After locking up the house and double-checking each lock in turn, Jane made her way to her bedroom. She made two stops along the way to check on her sleeping children, getting lost in their peaceful virtue. The dreamy cooing noises coming from the bundle that was her daughter instantly calmed her and helped her focus on how lucky she really was. As soon as she stepped into the master bedroom she heard Maura drop her book on to her lap before seeing it. When their eyes met Jane's breath caught in her throat. No matter how many years passed by, Maura's simple beauty, the beauty only she got to see late at night or early in the morning made her world stand still.

"You're so beautiful." Jane whispered across the room before disappearing into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change. Maura simply smiled in response and waited patiently for her wife to join her, eyes back on the printed pages before her. When Jane emerged in nothing but a large T-shirt, Maura's now boring book was set aside. It was so easy to get lost at the sight of those long, tanned legs. The brunette grabbed a hair tie from her nightstand and piled her hair high atop her head, never looking away from the peaceful woman she was lucky enough to share a bed with each night. The lanky form slid beneath the covers and snuggled against the silk clad side of her wife. She sighed contently and tried to force her mind to slow down enough to get some rest.

"It's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Maura asked into the quiet room. The glow from her bedside lamp bathed their surroundings in an amber glow.

"What?" Brown eyes glistened with curiosity.

"Being here and not out there. Chasing bad guys until sunrise and living off coffee as you stare at a blank computer screen. Don't forget, Jane, I used to be there too." The amusement on the blonde's face directly contradicted the slightly agitated tone with which her words were delivered. Maura laid on her side, facing her smirking wife.

"You're right, as always. But just because I want to be out there searching doesn't mean I don't want to be here."

"You're not completely here-"

"Maur," Jane took a deep breath, her thoughts stumbling over one another in order to form the perfect response. "We made a promise to each other when we decided to have children and I will never forget or break that promise." Jane's left hand broke free from the plush comforter and started to caress Maura's cheek in a relaxing pattern. "I promised you I would be home with and for my family. I promised that you and our children would always come first." Her husky voice broke. "I promised that you would have all of me, not just a piece."

"And I promised to never keep any of our kids snacks in the dead fridge." A small chuckle escaped Maura's lips between newly fallen tears.

"Yes you did." Jane's brilliant smile was visible in the dimly lit room. "But you have to understand how personal this case is for me, for us." Chocolate eyes roamed the angelic face before them. A finely tuned, choreographed dance from eyes to lips, from lips to brow, and from brow to nose, only to do it all over again.

The couple was silent for a few moments, unspoken thoughts and feelings swam between them and it was if they were understood anyway. The ME snuggled closer to her Detective, pulling the thin body to her and holding her tightly. She listened to Jane's strong heart for ten beats, giving herself that time to come to terms with the truth her wife had just spoken. Manicured fingers made their way to the neckline of the baggy shirt and pulled down just enough to expose olive skin, taut across her sternum. Plump lips left a moist kiss just above the crucial organ before speaking again.

"Go. Do your job. You're the best there is and if you aren't there this case will remain unsolved a lot longer than it should." Jane kissed Maura quickly and was already changing back into her work clothes. "Call me before you go anywhere, ok? I love you."

"Of course. I love you, too." The brunette clipped her gun to her belt and adjusted her badge. "I'll make it up to you." A devious wiggle of perfectly sculpted, dark eyebrows sealed that promise as the detective turned to leave.

"Jane?" Maura stopped the determined woman just as she reached their bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

"Next time you're frustrated, try not to take it out on our china." Maura turned on her side and burrowed into the covers after turning off the light. Her eyes closed as she listened to Jane's hearty laugh move further and further away.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Moving along quite smoothly now, here's the next chapter! One or two left and I'll be calling it quits with this one. Thanks again to all readers and reviewers. I love hearing what you all think!**

"Rizzoli! What the hell are you doing here?" Lieutenant Sean Cavanaugh's voice boomed across the deserted precinct. The homicide department took on an eerie gray glow after hours.

"Don't worry, Cavanaugh, Maura signed my permission slip." Jane scoffed. A hearty giggle could be heard next to her. Korsak was still working hard into the late night hours. Between the three of them there was always a detective working the case.

"Janie may be crazy, but she's not stupid, Sean." The eldest detective spoke as he looked at his fellow male over the reading glasses on the tip of his nose.

"Yeah, yeah. Just solve this case already. The media is becoming a nightmare and I have the Mayor breathing down my neck." Cavanaugh made his way back into his office, slamming the door behind his stocky figure.

"Where did the kind man who danced with me at my wedding go?" Jane said in the direction of where the older man once stood, a genuine smile on her face as she shook her head.

Korsak just laughed before he questioned the younger detective. "Seriously, Jane, what are you doing here so late?"

"I couldn't sleep and Maura knew it. I guess instead of feeling me toss and turn all night she decided to set me free." She held her arms out at her sides.

"Smart woman." The gray-haired man replied with his gray head cocked to the side.

"You're telling me!" Jane looked over the file that was on top of the pile on her desk. "Anything new?"

"Nothing yet. I've been looking through all the old case files to see if there's any mention of waterfront property. It's gonna take a while." Korsak threw the file he had been scanning into a stained cardboard box to his left before taking a new file from a box to his right.

"Do you think he'd use the same site twice?" Jane was already reading through papers dated from years before she became a homicide detective. Her eyes were squinting in the dim light, letters becoming smaller the longer she read.

"You should really get reading glasses." Vince watched the struggle from his own desk with a small smile on his friendly face.

"No thanks, pop, we're only allowed one antique per department." A dark eyebrow quirked and Jane looked in her superior's direction.

"Ouch." A large belly laugh followed the single syllable word. He scratched at his trimmed facial hair before returning his full attention to the paperwork scattered before him. "I think he's more likely to have favorite sites to return to. Sick bastards like this tend to be too sentimental for their own good." Jane merely hummed in response.

Two hours passed. Cavanaugh left for the night leaving only the experienced detectives behind in the near-empty precinct. Time was passing slowly, painfully so. Each tick-tock of the clock was a derisive reminder that Thomas's time was ticking away as well, that maybe they would eventually run out of time. Jane was about to give up on the old evidence, she considered sealing them back up in the dusty box they came in, she even seriously contemplated dropping a lit match into said box, but a heavy set of footsteps drew her attention away.

"What're you doing back so soon?" Korsak was the first to question. "I told you to get some rest."

Detective Frost froze beside his desk, not feeling guilty in the slightest for choosing work over his own health, as usual. "There was no way I was sleeping, so I ate a real meal and took a long shower before I came back." He settled behind his desk and turned on his computer. His fellow detectives looked on gratefully.

"Good thing too. I think were gonna need your tech savvy talents, wiz kid." Korsak rose from behind his desk with his hands full of papers. He settled them in front of the young detective and took a step back. "There's a list of landmarks, lakes, ponds, and any property the Hamilton's so much as looked at, they need to be sorted through." The husky detective spoke as he went to retrieve his jacket.

"Where are you going?" Frost shifted his wide eyes from the stack before him to the man making his way from the room.

"I think I'm going to indulge in one of those shower things you were talking about."

"Please!" Jane shouted across the space. Korsak left with a mock-look of insult hanging from his aged face, the echo of laughter followed him out the door.

**xxxxxx**

_"Jane, I don't think this is a good idea." Maura took three careful steps backwards. _

_"Well, I happen to think it's a great idea." Long legs carried Jane's predatory form three steps forward. _

_"We talked about this. Rules were set in place!" The blonde's tone was becoming exasperated, but it still held a hint of a telling husk that wasn't there earlier. The curvy woman jumped in surprise when the backs of her thighs met the edge of her expensive desk. _

_The Chief Medical Examiner's office was bathed in a warm, white glow. Walls were bare, not one statue sat proudly on the furniture or mask upon the wall. It was a large, barren room with just a desk as the centerpiece. A large desk with square edges and a bare, smooth surface that was highly polished and begging for a few smudges to mark it used. _

_"Rules were made to be broken." Jane's deep voice vibrated through the doctor, thin soft lips barely an inch from Maura's ear. A firm thigh made its way between two legs that were encased in lacy stockings. "What do you say?" The question tumbled from flirty lips in the same moment that Jane's thigh applied just enough pressure to cause the ME's head to fall back. _

_"You're not playing fair." Maura said just a above a whisper. _

_"No." The brunette's nimble and pleasingly long fingers danced along the hem of her wife's skirt. "I'm playing dirty." She placed a soft kiss to Maura's rapidly beating pulse point. "Very.." Another kiss. "Very.." Now her straight, white teeth sank into the flawless skin. "Dirty."_

"MOMMY!" A startling cry woke Maura from her pleasant dream.

"I'm coming, baby!" Two feet with ruby painted toes hit the floor and were running before the sleepy fog fully cleared from her mind. She stumbled towards the dresser first, reaching behind it to retrieve the police baton Jane had secured there for emergencies. The panicked mother then raced towards her son's room, delicate shoulders bumping into walls along the way. When Maura entered Bradley's room her heart broke at what she saw. His tiny body was balled up against the wall, knees hugged tightly to his chest. Twisted covers were long forgotten at the foot of the small bed. His chubby cheeks were shining with tears and his eyes sparkled with droplets that were yet to be shed.

"What is it, baby boy?" The blonde climbed onto the bed, moving slowly towards her shaken son, baton discarded on the floor. She took him into her arms and let his head rest against her ample bosom.

"I had a bad dream." Bradley mumbled against smooth silk.

"Tell me about it." Maura quietly encouraged as she gently rocked the five year old in her arms. A negative shake of a blonde head let her know just how bad the dream must have been. "Dreams aren't real, Bradley."

"I know!" The level of frustration in a such a young boy's voice broke Maura's heart further.

"They aren't real." She took a chance and continued. "Sometimes, if we let ourselves talk about them, they become powerless and can't hurt us anymore." She reasoned as her hazel eyes stared off into darkness. These were the same words she repeated to herself many times. A reminder that became a mantra all the night she awoke in a cold sweat after Jane shot herself, after Hoyt reappeared, after Dennis, Jane's nuptials to Casey, and even as recently as Bradley's kidnapping. The dreams had disappeared over the years but the mantra remained true. "Remembering that helped me through my bad dreams."

"You had bad dreams?" Bradley turned in his mother's arms to look up at her face.

"I used to have them quite often. So did your Mama."

"Mama's too brave to have bad dreams." Again, he lowered his head.

Maura couldn't help but smile at his disbelief. "It's true. We all have bad dreams sometimes, no matter how brave we are. The most brave thing we can do is talk about them and realize that they can't hurt us. Think you can be brave like your Mama and tell me about it?" Silence followed, the wind against the window seemed louder in the quiescence.

"He hurt Mama." The small confession was a whisper that chilled the silk of Maura's pajamas.

"Who hurt her?" She asked as she tightened her arms around her son.

"Uncle Wally. I think...I think he killed her."

Maura's eyes slammed shut as a painful vice gripped her rapidly beating heart. A rush of goosebumps travelled down her spine and her skin crawled with irrational terror. She fought back tears, not wanting to upset the little boy any further.

"It's ok, Bradley. Mama is fine, YOU are fine." She ran her fingers gently through his knotted curls. He started to move off the bed. "Where are you off to?"

"I wanna see Mama for myself." Bradley stood beside his bed, his features more determined than ever.

"She's not here." Maura didn't realize the way she said the words until she saw the panic taking over Bradley's body. "Work! She went to work for a little while."

Bradley took a minute to consider what his mother had just told him, giving his developing mind a moment to process. He walked over to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer slowly.

"What are you doing?" Maura was genuinely intrigued, never knowing what to expect from the feisty young boy that may have been a product of her own biology too, but was a Rizzoli through and through.

"We're going to see Mama."

**xxxxxx**

"It's four o'clock in the morning and we got nothing." Jane shook her empty coffee cup, hoping that at some point it would have refilled itself. Frost had been bent over his computer for hours, searching through years of property deeds and family histories. Korsak had returned with a renewed determination to sort through the old files, only to fizzle out again after two boxes of dead ends. The three detective's hushed work space was shattered when a small voice broke through the silence.

"Mama!"

Jane's dark head spun in the direction of the familiar glee. "Bradley?" Her voice held happiness and just a hint of confusion. Her eyes danced between a perfectly dressed five year old and a thoroughly disheveled Maura with a baby Angie strapped to her chest. Jane couldn't help but think of how stunning of a woman she was married to. Yoga pants and oversized sweatshirts were magical when combined with the caramel blonde's natural beauty. A formal Maura was breathtaking, but Jane preferred this stripped-down version. The Chief Medical Examiner, the prestigious doctor, and the Isles surname meant nothing. Early morning hours without makeup and the addition of sheet marks riddling a perfect face were what defined the woman Jane would love forever.

"He had a bad dream and needed to see you." Maura stated, giving reason to their sudden appearance.

Jane's arms were already around her son, lifting him to sit on her lap in the old rickety office chair. She looked up to her wife and raised her eyebrows in a silent question. All she got as a response was a small smile and that innocent head tilt that melted her from the inside out.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She whispered into a small ear.

"No. It was just a dream and bad guys in dreams can't hurt you." He said so simply as he grabbed a pen from his mothers desk and evaluated it. It seemed good enough to become his new toy. As he spun the cylinder in his hands his eyes grew heavy, the solid warmth of his mother's presence a soothing lullaby. Jane was too busy swaying and comforting her son to see the urgent glances being shared between the other detectives. One man was trying to urge the other to break up the sugary sweet scene taking place before them. Korsak ultimately lost.

"So, Janie, we have a piece of property owned by a Milton Halter-" he didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before Jane was on her feet and carrying the drowsy child in the direction of the elevators.

"Just let me put him in the car and we'll go." The family made their way out the door.

At the curb of the BPD, Jane buckled two car seats and deposited kisses to two soft foreheads before shutting the car door as quietly as possible. She turned to Maura who was standing inside the open drivers side door. The night was cold but refreshing, a natural way to wake up groggy senses. Jane let her fingers thread through soft butterscotch curls, her nails scratching lightly along Maura's scalp. The comforting gesture was welcomed as the shorter woman leaned into the touch.

"I'll be home as soon as I can." Jane said as she stepped closer.

"Please be careful." Maura let the gigantic yet miniscule request slip passed her full lips.

"Of course." Large, brown eyes scanned the face before them, noting the anxiety pulling at beautiful features. In an effort to quell those feelings, she brought her firm body even closer to Maura's own curves, only to feel the baby carrier stop her. "Have I told you how sexy you look in this?" A pointed fingertip trailed along the seam of synthetic fabric and thick straps. Jane was rewarded with a girlish giggle.

"And to think, I've wasted so much money on lingerie."

"I wouldn't call it a waste, we do need some variety." A wide, mischievous grin spread across a stunning, angular face. She leaned in and let her still smiling lips press against an expectant pout.

The kiss grew in fervor quickly, the women experienced a change in breathing at the same time when Maura's hands gripped Jane's jutting hip bones and pulled her closer. Just as Jane was about to deepen the kiss further she was stopped by a soft hand forcing her face away gently.

Maura's lips shifted to Jane's ear to whisper, "I was having a dream about you too, but it was in no way bad." The ME felt Jane's body shiver against her.

"Tell me about it?" The detective asked with a hopeful glint in her eye.

"We were in my office, you had me pinned against my desk..." Maura heard Jane's sharp intake of breath, she brushed the brunette's lips lightly with the tip of her index finger. Maura's heavy-lidded hazel eyes never managed to shift from the soft, moist skin. "Maybe we could reenact it sometime?"

"But there's rules..." Two hands moved as if possessed, wrapping around Maura's slim waist to firmly grip a full backside, an indulgent backside that felt even more firm in tight yoga pants.

"Rules were made to be broken." Maura chuckled deeply, seductively, as she threw the dreamy words back at her detective. "Now go, be a badass detective. We'll be waiting for you to arrive home safely and in one piece." She pushed Jane back with a hand to a muscular yet feminine soft chest, gaining the distance that was necessary for her to remain in control.

"Fine." Detective Rizzoli turned back towards the building but continued to speak over her shoulder. "But this discussion isn't over, Doctor." A smile full of love quickly turned into a fierce scowl as she entered the precinct. It was time to put an end to this case, once and for all.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Look at me...back to back updates! Hope you all enjoy this one. Same disclaimer as always and I still get giddy from reviews, favorites, and follows! Tried something a little different and I'd love feedback on the style. Read on good people!**

_43 minutes since they kissed goodbye._

Maura had Bradley back in his warm pajamas and wrapped tightly in plush blankets. No matter how many times the stubborn boy kicked his tiny feet in protest or how many words he shouted at the top of his lungs, his request to stay up and wait for his Mama fell upon deaf ears. Maura knew better, mother always knows best. Their son was exhausted and his ruffled head needed to rest against his soft pillow. The moment contact was made his eyes shut and his pudgy thumb made a home between pouty lips. It was a habit they were fighting Bradley to give up in an effort to avoid future dental problems, but for the night he was allowed that small comfort.

_49 minutes._

Jane's forehead was pressed against the cold solidity of the car window as she grumbled at the feel of a knee pressing into her back for the third time during their drive. She spun to glare at the offender.

"Seriously? I'm taller than you and I don't have a problem fitting in the backseat!" Her nerves caused her words to be delivered with an extra bite.

"If that's so, why aren't you back here? I'm sick of getting stuck in the back." Frost shifted his bulky form to get more comfortable. They still had two hours of driving ahead of them and he was already cranky from his cramped surroundings.

"Age before beauty, partner." Jane just chuckled, knowing full well that she wouldn't be giving up the front seat anytime soon.

"Well, that at least explains why Korsak is driving." A proud smile painted the younger detective's face.

"Ok!" Korsak stopped the banter. "Let's go over the details again."

"Sure." Frost cleared his throat. "Milton Halter, whom we assume is Walter Hamilton, showed great interest in a small piece of property on the shore of Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. There's no paper trail to prove he actually purchased property there, but it's a big lake. He could have set up shop anywhere without a soul knowing."

"It's gonna be one hell of a three person search." Jane stated with a discouraged tone.

"We have approximate coordinates of the property he looked at. My guess would be that he didn't stray far from there."

"I agree." Korsak chimed in. "He got an idea of the land from that point, he'd be more comfortable there."

The female detective watched as the scenery outside passed in a blur. The sun had just started to peek above the horizon, kissing the sky with patches of pink and orange. Detective Rizzoli was in no mood for a wild goose chase so early in the morning. "Let's hope you're right.

_98 minutes._

Maura settled in the antique rocking chair that was situated in the corner of the nursery. She held two hooked needles in each hand and stared at the tangled ball of yarn on her lap. She couldn't understand. Her hands were professionally trained, exceptionally talented, and gentle. The ME performed autopsies daily with a surgical precision that many other doctors would envy. Her skill set was impressive and tremors were nonexistent, but there was something about the art of string being crocheted together that the doctor couldn't quite grasp. Her brows knit together in a combination of confusion, concentration, and immense frustration. Needless to say Maura's new hobby wasn't helping distract her. She threw the tangled ball into the basket beside the chair and sighed deeply.

Maura looked to the clock and wished her mother was around. Constance had business to attend to in New York that week and would return to Boston in two days before heading back to Paris. The blonde just needed the support. She knew she could call Angela, but sometimes she needed to talk to someone who had two feet cemented to the ground, not running frantically in circles. She sighed again into the quiet and turned her attention to the sleeping bundle in the crib beside her.

The mobile made up of simple zoo animals and stimulating shapes danced about Angie's sleeping form. Little legs kicked sporadically and fists clenched tightly. Maura stood and folded her arms on the edge of the wood that surrounded her baby. She watched as the little being made puckered faces and suckling noises. Maura knew better than to think Angie was dreaming, an infant's brain wasn't capable of the function, but she let herself imagine. Imagine all the small adventures and curious visions.

She wasn't sure what had done it, but a small sliver of fear made it's way into the copper haired woman's head and heart. Perhaps she was afraid of this little innocent being growing up without her Mama. There were so many possible outcomes for that mornings investigation, and not all of them were good.

Maura reached for her phone that she kept by her at all times and dialed the familiar number. Angela's sleepy voice answered immediately.

"Maura, sweetheart, are you ok? Is Jane ok?"

"We're fine, Angela. I haven't heard much from Jane, but the lake is almost three hours away so they should be still traveling." Maura caught herself rambling and got to her point. "I was wondering if I could interest you in an early breakfast?" Maura asked hopefully, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice. She didn't know why she bothered, Angela always knew her better.

"I'll be there in thirty minutes."

_168 minutes._

"We made good time." The muscular detective unfolded out of the backseat and stretched his cramping limbs. The cold morning air burned his lungs but freshened his senses. Despite it being the middle of a frigid winter, the air still smelled of fallen leaves.

"That's because I don't drive like an old man." Korsak opened the trunk of the cruiser and started to hand out Kevlar vests. At Jane's curious looks he explained. "Better safe than sorry, Mama."

"Don't treat me differently, ok?" She said despite the warm smile on her face.

The three detectives took turns securing each other's vests. They checked their weapons and their mobility with the the added bulk. They surveyed the land, the lake was sparkling beneath the sun. If it weren't for all the events that could have possibly happened in this location, it would have been beautiful. Instead, it was a reminder of why they were there, and how easily Bradley could have ended up there as well.

"We'll stay close to the lake but just within the trees. It'll cover us." Korsak laid out the plan.

"Sounds good. Let's go." Weapon drawn, Jane proceeded and lead her fellow detective's into the unknown.

_179 minutes._

"When you're alone with the two of them how do you decide which one to smother with kisses first?" Angela held her granddaughter against her chest.

Maura smiled at the grandmother. The best decision her and Jane ever made was to finally give Angela what she always wanted: more grand-babies. The amount of love this woman had for each and every member of the family, blood related or not, always astounded the ME.

"Mommy?" Bradley stood in front of his mother looking up with curious green eyes. He stood tall in his tiny denim jeans, socked feet, and striped t-shirt.

"Yes, Bradley?" Maura knelt before the small boy. He had been unusually quiet all morning, even after sleeping two extra hours.

"When will Mama be home?"

The intelligent blonde had been doing the math in her head all morning. She counted each minute, multiplied each mile of lake shore by how long it would take to walk it. She knew she could give her son an approximate guess, but she never guessed.

"I'm not sure, baby boy, but she'll be home as soon as she can." She kissed his forehead. He stared back at her for a minute, carefully considering his next question. Maura watched the emotions play across his face, not one of them was easy to identify. It always made her anxious when she couldn't tell what was happening with her children, especially when she wasn't sure she could help. She waited patiently for him to speak again, her nerves becoming raw.

"Um..." He hesitated and looked into his mother's eyes before looking back at the floor again. "Can I have some ice cream?" His voice was so quiet Maura barely heard the request.

"Bradley, it's not even eight in the morning." Despite her motherly tone, Maura wore a wide smile that seeped into her words.

"But I had breakfast and breakfast is a meal and so is dinner and I have ice cream after dinner so I can have it after breakfast." The five year old reasoned firmly. Maura couldn't argue, not that she planned to. Anything that would soothe Bradley while his Mama was away was worth it.

"Fair enough." Her curvy form stood, she smoothed the front of her simple pink oxford shirt and opened the freezer. She tried to ignore the small victory dance her son did at her feet but laughed nonetheless.

"That boy will be trouble when he's older." Angela called out from her spot at the counter.

"Don't I know it." Maura handed the small bowl full of the frosty treat to the smiling little boy.

_215 minutes._

The three detective's continued walking along through trees and piles of fallen leaves. The damp, bitter air stung their cheeks and made their eyes water.

"How long are we gonna keep this up? There hasn't been one sign of life and we had to have covered a few miles by now." Detective Frost quietly complained.

"If Maura was here she'd be able to tell exactly how many miles we covered just by the amount of steps we took." Jane chortled, the smile she wore as she mentioned her wife remained on her face well after the words were out of her mouth.

"Yeah." Korsak's boyish giggle came out. "And she'd probably have some crazy scientific explanation that would lead us right to the guy. Like 'the slaphappy spores are present only on north facing elm trees.'" Before their laughter had the chance to change to a roar, Jane shushed the men.

"Shut up!" She held a hand up and motioned for them to listen. Minutes passed without a sound. Her legs were numb, the freezing air penetrating her thin suit pants and her skin. Not a sound was heard except for the few song birds and woodland creatures that remained into the winter months. Ready to admit that it was just her ears playing tricks on her, Jane stepped forward and snapped a thick branch beneath her booted foot. A gunshot rang out and echoed through the woods, bark from a tree less than one foot to the left of Rizzoli's head exploded and she hit the ground.

"Get down!" Korsak's shouted. "Janie, are you hit?" The older man sat with his back against cold wood.

"No, but I'm willing to bet we're getting close to the bastard."

"We gotta move fast before he gets away." Frost stood but his knees remained bent, keeping him close to the

ground. "We should weave between the trees, make it hard to aim."

"Ok." Jane's dark, wide eyes checked the trajectory of the bullet hole in the tree. "Let's go." Her long form stood and rushed for the widest trees she could find.

_227 minutes._

"I'm thinking pot roast for dinner. Janie will need something warm when she gets home." Angela spoke as she stood between the two open stainless steel refrigerator doors.

_230 minutes._

Frost's bright eyes scanned the woods, looking for any sign of movement. They stood still, pressed up against the moldy, moist bark of their partner trees. Silence settled along with the feeling of being watched, being hunted. One, two, three detective's all in a row.

_234 minutes._

Hazel eyes were stinging with the amount of force needed to hold back tears. Maura had settled on the couch with Bradley as his favorite cartoons danced on the large tv screen. Maura used this time to study the picture frames that lined the fireplace mantel. Pictures that didn't receive the attention they deserved. Four pictures, all in their own unique frames stood proudly on the firm wood. The first picture in the family's timeline was one of Maura's favorites. It was from years ago, when her and Jane were just two friends dancing carefully around the attraction that was always present. Their cheeks were pressed against one another, wide smiles that probably weren't warranted for such an insignificant occasion, an occasion Maura had trouble recalling at the moment, but they were happy for the simple presence in each other's lives.

_235 minutes._

A loud snap was heard in the stillness. "Three o'clock. Go!" Korsak's loud whisper held a palpable amount of authority. Three sets of feet moved.

_236 minutes._

The second picture was taken on their wedding day. Not during the short yet emotional ceremony or the long, gleeful reception. This picture was taken without either woman noticing; a sneaky, camera happy TJ was running around and taking snapshots of anything that was in front of him. Just as Jane was helping Maura into the car at the end of the night, the little boy took a picture. Jane's hands were full of white lace as she bunched up the bottom of her bride's dress in an effort to keep it from getting dirty. Jane's own dress, a black sleeveless satin gown, was cut short enough to be safe from soil. They were laughing, red faced and awkwardly positioned as they tried to twist into the backseat. The brunette's head was thrown back, her hair secured in a Classic French twist. Maura's waves flowed freely, falling forward but never obscuring her beautiful face. It was one of Maura's favorite photos.

_238 minutes._

"Boston Police Department, FREEZE!" Frost shouted as they continued following the sounds that brought them closer to the shoreline. Through the trees they could make out the shape of a man, a dark head bobbing and weaving. Suddenly the form stopped. The detectives approached slowly, wanting to avoid any surprises. They were already on his turf, they needed to expect the unexpected. "Put your hands above your head and turn around slowly." The man did just that and when his dark, lifeless eyes locked on his opponents, all three officers were filled with an uneasy feeling.

_239 minutes._

The third picture was of the entire Rizzoli family on Bradley's first birthday. A tight clan, smiles on every face, and a crying one year old in the middle who just wanted to have some cake.

_240 minutes._

"Walter Hamilton?" Jane questioned even though she already knew the answer. "Where's Thomas?" She stepped forward, the heels of her boots sinking into the mud. They walked along the lake, no more than three feet from the water. The detectives spread out; Jane approached his left, Korsak head on, and Frost to the right. They were close, so close that Jane could tell the clean cut Caucasian didn't shave that morning, dark stubble riddled his pale skin. He turned and looked Jane in the eye and spoke.

"How's Bradley?"

_240.5 minutes._

The framed photo that stood on the end of the mantel was the most recent. A shot taken by Jane herself in the delivery room after Angie was born. Maura's eyes were red and swollen, her hair disheveled and stuck to her moist forehead. A newborn the color of a tomato was bundled and held in the ME's arms. Jane wore a blue scrub cap and was bent over her wife and the new addition. Tears streaked her cheeks and her smile was brighter than Maura had ever seen it. Their family, their life was completed in that moment.

_241 minutes._

"Don't react, Rizzoli!" Korsak cautioned.

"You son of a bitch!" Jane took a small step forward. The anger that painted her vision red blinded her to the subtle movement in front of her. A gun was fired, an impact to the center of her chest threw Jane backwards into the shallow water just as a second shot rang out.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'd like to say a special thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. As I wrote it I wanted to evoke a strong response, build anxiety, and have that small flashback to what had happened to Jane in "Leave." Judging by the responses I received, I succeeded. I thank you all and look forward to more. I also took those reviews seriously and made sure to update as soon as possible, so here you all go.**

Motherhood rule number one: when your children sleep, you sleep. No matter what time of the day, you take this peaceful time to relax and close your eyes. Collect yourself. Center yourself. Reenergize yourself. Rest. This lesson was learnt early on in the Rizzoli household, so later that afternoon when Maura found herself sprawled out on the sofa with Bradley curled up next to her and Angie sleeping soundly in the portable crib beside the sofa, she was more than a little startled when she awoke to the shrill ring of her telephone. Her groggy mind took more than a few seconds to clear and understand what was going on. Maura took stock of the situation; fully dressed, kids, tv is on, we're on the sofa, Jane is at work._ Jane._ The ME leapt for her phone and answered it just as it finished it's third ring.

"Dr. Rizzoli." She spoke with barely a hint of her usual professional tone.

"Maura, it's Korsak." The blonde's stomach dropped at the sound of the older man's voice. If he was calling her that meant Jane wasn't able to. And if Jane wasn't able to that usually meant...

"Which hospital?" Maura managed to ask through the fist of dread in her throat. Tears were already welling up in her tired eyes.

"What?" The confusion was evident in the detective's voice.

"Don't play coy with me, Vince. I know that if you're calling me that means she's hurt. Now, which hospital should I head to?"

"Listen, doc, I'm sorry to have to tell you this," he paused, a slight giggle filling the silence on the phone, "but you're wrong."

"What?" Maura shook her head. She was still a little dizzy from being woken so suddenly, it wasn't the best time for her attempt solving riddles.

"We're at the precinct. Janie's phone didn't make it and she's held up right now. She wanted me to call you and see if you could meet us down here." The blonde sat stunned. The tears that threatened just moments before finally fell free, but with happiness as their motivation instead of despair. It wasn't until she heard her name being called that she remembered she was on the phone. "Maura?"

"Yeah. Yes. Um..." She cleared her throat and shook her head one more time, tangled caramel waves bouncing along her shoulders, she finally cleared the cobwebs. "Let me just make sure Angela will be ok with watching the children and I'll be right there."

**xxxxxx**

As Maura waited for the elevator to arrive, the elevator that would take her up a few floors to where her wife was waiting, her palms started to sweat. She didn't dare wipe them on her designer dress. The butternut color would show any moisture the silky smooth material came into contact with. The warm, chestnut brown leather motorcycle jacket she wore as a coverup did nothing to help the temperature debacle she found herself in. The ME shifted from one matching brown heel to the other, flexing every muscle in her toned calves.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Rizzoli." A young uniformed officer tripped over himself in an effort to greet the beautiful woman.

"Good afternoon, Officer...?" Maura turned her head giving the young man a friendly smile.

"Mendez. Officer John Mendez, ma'am." A slight blush was creeping up his handsome face.

_Isn't he just the cutest! He's clearly new and hasn't met my wife yet._ The elevator ding signaled it's arrival. "Have a good day, Officer Mendez." She stepped into the small cube and felt the dark eyes watch her as the doors slid shut. Her small smirk turned into a smile at the attention she still received after two kids. _Jane is going to love to hear about this. _She giggled at the thought, then heat quickly flushed her face when she thought of a possessive Jane._ I'll wait to tell her when I have her alone._

The short ride ended and the doors opened to a crowded bullpen. Men in black suits floated around followed by men in less crisp attire and several uniformed officers filled the space as well. Uniforms from different states and counties were visible. Maura put one foot in front of the other and tried to find a familiar face amongst the strangers. She stepped around an empty desk only to be in the way of an older man on a mission. He bumped her shoulder with enough force to unsteady her usual sure steps. She gripped the edge of the desk to keep from falling.

"Sorry, ma'am." He never looked back. She could be injured on the floor and he still kept on in the opposite direction. Fortunately Frost noticed Maura's appearance and the exchange and he was at her side immediately.

"Hey, doc. You ok?" He gripped her by the crook of her elbow and held her against him, waiting for her to regain her footing.

"Yes, Barry, I'm fine. That man, however, is quite rude."

"Yeah," he couldn't help but laugh at her ever proper demeanor, "it's a little crowded in here today. Officers from every location Walter Hamilton had abducted children came the minute they heard we got him."

"You did get him?" She looked at him with wide, hope filled eyes. He just shook his head, a giant grin in place.

"Maura!" A raspy voice called out across the crowd. Despite the unusually loud volume of the small space, the blonde would have been able to pick that voice out anywhere. She turned quickly, long waves lifting from her shoulders from the speed of the movement, their eyes locked immediately.

"Jane." The whisper left her full lips, falling into the large space between them. A space that was becoming shorter and shorter as the lanky detective weaved her way between all the bodies around her. Maura took in every inch of her wife. Her raven curls were piled on her head and looked slightly damp, the tip of her sharp nose was tinted a pink that matched her cheeks. The gray BPD sweatsuit she wore hid every distinguishing body curve the ME knew was present beneath, the gloves on her scarred hands were the final clue in the now completed puzzle. _Jane must've found her way into icy water, again._

"You really do love your water sports don't you, Detective?" Maura quirked an eyebrow as she looked up at her wife. Jane never answered, she just wrapped her long arms around her wife's waist and lifted her off the ground.

"I'll just.." Frost looked around awkwardly and pointed at nothing, "go over there." He stepped around the women embracing each other and made an undetected exit.

"What happened to you? I nearly had a heart attack when Vince called me and not you! Given my age and health that would be nearly impossible but it sure felt like it!" Maura now pressed the palms of her hands against Jane's chest and pushed back. The slight flinch that crossed the taller woman's face didn't go unnoticed.

"We cornered Hamilton and there was a small altercation. I fell in the lake and the water killed my phone. I wanted to see you right away but I needed to have a crack at the guy before any other jurisdictions weaseled their way into the case. So I had Korsak call you." Over the years of their marriage the Rizzoli smirk morphed into something slightly more dangerous for Maura. The Rizzoli "please don't be mad at me I love you" pout. It worked almost every time, but Maura wasn't going to let Jane off that easily.

"A small altercation?" She looked up into dreamy brown eyes, she knew better.

"It was nothing- OOWWW!" Jane stumbled back a step from the pain caused to her chest. Those small hands that were normally so delicate, so pleasurable in that very area were far from gentle when they pressed against the new bruise.

"Whole story, Rizzoli."

"Fiiiine." The stubborn woman stomped her foot as she whined. She looked around and noticed her lieutenant's office door open. "Come with me." They walked hand in hand to the office and Jane closed the door behind them. She removed the gloves she was wearing and cupped her wife's face. She stared into her wide hazel eyes for a moment before closing the distance between them. The feel of Maura's soft lips against hers helped erase the long morning she had endured.

"I'm waiting." No amount of kisses would make Maura forget, but they did help soothe her and warm her soul from the inside out.

"We cornered him and he had a gun. He shot me and I fell in the water."

"He SHOT you?!" Maura was shouting now.

"I was wearing a vest." Jane tried, knowing that only made a difference with the outcome, not with hearing your wife had been shot. Maura was already clawing at the collar of the bulky sweatshirt, trying to get a look at the injury. When she finally did she stepped back and gasped, her right hand covering her mouth. Her eyes immediately welling up with tears.

"Jane, you have a large hematoma in the center of your chest!" All the possible scenarios of that morning came flashing back into her mind.

"I know. And it's the color of a ripe plum, but I'm ok. I'm alive and we got the guy. After he shot, Frost was quick to react and shot at his foot to scare him. Did the trick too."

"I don't care if he urinated himself, Jane, I only care about you!" The tremble in the normally smooth voice tore at Jane's heart.

The taller woman stepped forward and took the crying ME into her arms. She whispered small apologies and heartfelt promises. She waited patiently for the tears to stop, not caring if it took all day as long as Maura's eyes dried and they were ok. Movement out of the corner of a trained eye caught Jane's attention.

"Maur?" Watery hazel eyes looked up at the sound of her name. "Look." Jane nodded her dark head in the direction of the small office window that faced the bullpen.

A young couple walked hand in hand, tears streaming down red faces and they wore smiles larger than any child's on Christmas morning. Their free hands rested on the shoulders of a small boy no older than Bradley.

"Is that?" Maura didn't have to finish the question.

"Yeah. I got to call his parents myself. It was one of the best moments in my entire career." Jane's voice grew rougher as she spoke, her throat tightening with emotion. She held her wife tighter. Both women watched the scene before them. The room broke out into a round of applause as the dark haired boy was lifted into the air and placed on his father's shoulders.

"How come we couldn't find a missing persons report?" Maura questioned.

"His name isn't Thomas, it's Michael Collier. Hamilton decided to call him Thomas, for reasons unknown for now. Michael's father was just promoted to detective last month. We're guessing that's why he was targeted. There was no way of finding a positive ID on any report without a correct name. We got lucky today."

"Are they from Boston?"

"Cambridge."

"Good, at least they're close to home." Maura held onto the firm life that encircled her. She inhaled her wife's scent that couldn't be hidden by the foreign clothes or the faint smell of nature that still clung to her tanned skin. "I love you." She spoke the words into a long neck.

"I love you, too. Ready to go? I could really use a hot shower." Jane shook out her limbs in an exaggerated shiver then started for the door.

"How about some company? You had a rough day, the least I could do is help you scrub it away." Maura's tone turned deep, suggestive, downright seductive. "The kids are with your mother."

"Hmmmm.." Jane hummed in approval. "I should get shot more often." At Maura's fallen expression Jane quickly covered. "I'm kidding! Maur.."

Maura stepped passed her wife and exited the office. "Not funny, Jane."

"I'll make it up to you." Their fingers entwined as they waited for the elevator.

"Yes. You will." They stepped onto the elevator and faced one another. The detective moved in close, lips millimeters away from their ultimate goal of a juicy pout. "There's a pile of dishes in the sink from breakfast."

A dark head fell, the crestfallen detective grumbled as the doors closed on them. A hearty laugh bellowed from deep within the doctor's belly, the echo could be heard well after the elevator reached the ground floor.


	14. Epilogue

**A/N: Well, this is it! The end of not just this story but the trilogy itself. I think I'm more nervous posting the end than I was about posting the beginning! I can only hope I at least mostly satisfied every reader with the way I chose to wrap it all up. It's hard to believe this all started with what I expected to be one-shot based off a Sugarland song. The amazing and overwhelming response to "Stay." pushed me to continue the story, writing chapter after chapter and then suddenly being asked for a sequel. I love these stories, I'm proud of them, and writing them was a great experience. To every reader- one's from the beginning and one's that just jumped on board today: You're all amazing. I would love nothing more than to hear what you all thought. Whether you choose to share thoughts of this chapter, story, or trilogy as a whole - I want to hear them all. Anyway, enough of my ramblings...Here it is, The Final Chapter. Enjoy!**

Epilogue.

"I don't think we have enough food." Maura worried aloud with her thumbnail between pearly white teeth.

"You're always worried that we won't have enough food." Jane placed a large bowl of pasta salad on the granite countertop. "And we always end up sending everyone home with leftovers." She stepped forward and trapped her wife against the counter by placing a hand on either side of the curvy woman. When Maura looked up into Jane's large brown eyes she was equal parts comforted and embarrassed. There was a certain glimmer that always accompanied the detective's "you know I'm right" tone. Jane lowered her head and gave her wife a small kiss on the lips.

"Ok." Maura finally conceded, but there was still a feeling of doubt nagging away in the back of her mind.

"We have hotdogs, hamburgers, turkey dogs and burgers, and veggie burgers." A disgusted cringe accompanied the last on the list. "Not to mention four different types of salads, fresh fruit, and a strawberry shortcake big enough to feed fifty. You have nothing," another small kiss, "to worry about."

"You know," Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's slim waist and pulled her so that their bodies were flush together. "the kids won't be back from the beach for another hour or so...we could enjoy the time we have to ourselves." A renegade hand lifted the hem of the brunette's red, white, and blue cotton t-shirt. Short nails raked across rapidly constricting abdominal muscles.

"Mmmmm.." The tip of Jane's nose traced the outline of Maura's jaw, along to the shell of an ear, and back down a cheek to bring her lips closer to the blonde's once again. This time, when the detective kissed the ME, she let the kiss answer Maura's proposal. Her tongue quickly made it's way between two full lips to meet with it's velvety partner in crime. Both women moaned into the kiss. Jane's dexterous left hand worked the button on her wife's cut-off denim shorts as her right snaked it's way up the front of a satiny red tank top to graze along a full breast.

"Couch. NOW." The shorter woman mumbled against sinfully delicious lips.

The couple fumbled backward, forward, sideways awkwardly, barely making it to the cushioned surface before falling. Jane's thin shirt was bunched up above her breasts in one swift motion. Her tanned chest was being showered with kisses just above the soft cups of her white bra as Maura worked the button on Jane's matching shorts. The brunette head pressed back into the cushions at the onslaught of sensations.

"I'll never get tired of the way you taste, the way you sound or the way you feel.." The doctor mumbled into cleavage that was now sprinkled with a light sheen of sweat.

"Maur...I need you." The plea was answered immediately, fingertips just started to dip into the waistband of Jane's panties when the front door swung open for an unannounced, early guest.

"Hey, Janie!" Tommy's voice echoed through the large house, but his footsteps that came closer to the entwined women were the loudest sound of all. Both women jumped at the intruder and tried to recover in time, but the attempt failed. "Oh god!" The Rizzoli brother turned quickly to face the wall, eyes closed and cheeks red.

"Didn't think to knock, did you, asshole!" Jane didn't bother to make it a question as she stood quickly and buttoned her shorts.

"I'll wait out back." He used his hand to shield his eyes as he made his way to the back door.

Maura smoothed the front of her tank and buttoned her shorts. When she looked at Jane she could see the frustration twisting her stunning features. "We'll finish this later."

"I would like to finish it now!" Chocolate eyes that were once dark and lascivious, were now cool and wide with shock.

"I know, I would too." Maura ran the palm of her hands up Jane's chest and let them rest on her strong shoulders. "We'll just have to remember where we left off." Her arms wrapped around a tense neck and pulled the taller woman's mouth to her own. The kiss wasn't full of fire like the last, instead it was full of a promise for things to come.

"I won't forget." Jane stepped back with a wink. "I'm gonna go out back and kick Tommy's ass."

"Give an extra kick for me." Maura laughed and pushed her wife towards the door. She returned to the kitchen in hopes of finding something to take her mind off of where she so badly wanted it to be.

**xxxxxx**

"You two have been living here for years now and I still can't get over this yard." Frankie held out his hand and pointed towards the large, open green space. Jane stood next to him on the deck that overlooked the plush area. There was the perfect amount of space for small sport games, a sandbox, and a swing set. Everything Jane wanted for her children.

"Yeah. We got really lucky with this house." She commented with a proud smile and took a swig from her frosty beer bottle.

"It also helps when price isn't an issue." Tommy spoke up as he joined the duo.

"Ahhh.. I do love the smell of jealousy on the Fourth of July." The Rizzoli woman took an exaggerated inhale through her nose, filling her lungs with mild summer air. The night still held the smell of a barbecue long since extinguished, wet grass, and sunshine. Jane knew that sunshine didn't have an actual scent but she was willing to bet she could smell it on nights like these. Nights where her family sat outdoors and laughed until late in the evening. Nights where the kids ran wild across their perfectly trimmed grass and stained their knees. Nights where a cold beer not only satisfied her but her wine drinking high society wife as well. The detective's hands were sticky from one too many slices of watermelon and her stomach was still full from the decision to have one of everything. It was the perfect night.

Across the deck was a small gathering of women. Angela sat beside Maura on a picnic bench reminiscent of those you'd see in your favorite park. On the doctor's bent knee was a bouncing baby that was awake way passed her bedtime but not one person seemed to care. The soon-to-be birthday girl giggled as her time on her mother's lap turned from calm to turbulent and then back again without warning. Angela rattled off reasons to have more children into Maura's ear, the blonde was only half listening. The main reason the eldest Rizzoli kept making her way back to was it being a sin not to create more of the adorable little bundles. Despite the factual statement, Jane and Maura had come to an agreement that two was more than enough. Lydia sat in silence, never having much to add to most conversations. Maura bent forward and smothered a chubby cheek with wet kisses, the baby's laughter only spurred the usually collected woman on.

A loud snap, crackle, POP in the distance drew the attention of all the partygoers. Various colors shined bright. The clear night sky served as a black canvas for wondrous combinations of primary colors mixing with the natural sparkle of the stars. The women stood back and admired the beauty of it all, the men silently agreed but openly commented on the fire and explosive sounds. Then there was the scientist who explained the chemical combinations to a slightly frightened infant.

"Hey.." A strange voice that had become more familiar over the past few months crept up behind Jane, tearing the detective's attention away from the lights in the sky and the children tumbling across the lawn.

"I hope you have some hydrocortisone at home, they're gonna have some wicked bug bites after tonight." Jane shook her head and both women laughed.

"I wanted to thank you again for having us." The petite brunette spoke in a hushed, almost shy tone. "I wanted to make this summer special for Michael, something happy to remember, you know?" Tears started to sting at the young woman's crystal blue eyes. Both women turned to watch their children play. TJ was the oldest, tallest of the three but somehow managed to become the monkey in a game of "monkey in the middle". A soft foam football soared over head from one younger boy to the other. Michael's cheeks were red from exhaustion and Bradley's sandy curls grew a shade darker from the sweat that adhered them to his forehead.

"Maura and I would love to have the three of you over anytime. And I know for a fact Bradley feels the same." A shriek of laughter roared from the pile of children.

"We'll definitely have to take you up on that offer." Michael's father saddled up next to his wife. "I feel spoiled when I'm here," he paused to take a sip from the bottle of beer he griped in his large hand. "You have the best beer." A bright, genuine smile spread across his boyish features. He was clean shaven and young. His black hair was cropped short in a military style which sharply contrasted his relaxed attitude. The adults attention eventually went back to the children.

"So. What happened to your tooth?" Bradley boldly asked the other boy his age. It had been bothering him for a while and his mothers always encouraged him to be inquisitive.

"Oh." Michael's small hand immediately went to his mouth while he wore a serious expression. A moment passed before a spaced smile appeared. "It fell out last week. I got two bucks for it!"

Bradley stood in awe. Teeth come out and you can get money for it. His green eyes shifted from his new friend to the two women who neglected to share this vital information with him. His tiny feet moved quickly in the direction of the mother who made a habit of sharing information as well as answering all his questions. The blonde boy slapped Maura's thigh with his flat palm. She turned her head quickly and looked down at her son.

"Bradley, we don't hit, you know better than that." She scolded lightly.

"I'm sorry, Mommy." He put on his best pout.

"You're forgiven. Now, what can I help you with?" It was never too early to instill proper manners in your children.

"When can my teeth fall out so I can get money for toys. And candy. And ice cream." Tiny hands were clasped behind the boy's back. He rocked back and forth in his small blue sandals, red shorts slightly askew and stained green along the behind. The t-shirt he wore was white at one point, and Maura couldn't help but think that she should've known better than to put it on him that afternoon.

"You're deciduous teeth, the ones you have now, will fall out naturally when your permanent teeth come in. Most likely within the next year. The teeth you have now are also known as milk teeth, tem-"

"So not before the ice cream man comes tomorrow?" Bradley cut his mother off.

_Just like Jane._ Maura giggled to herself before answering the boy in front of her who wore a fallen expression. "I'm afraid not, Bradley. But if you're a good boy until then we'll see about the ice cream." Satisfied with that response, Bradley pinched his sister's toe before running to join his friends.

"That boy-" Angela chimed in.

"I know." Maura agreed before another word was uttered.

**xxxxxx**

"Do you think Michael will be ok?" Jane reached for the throw pillows Maura insisted on decorating their large bed with.

"I'm almost certain he will be. He's been seeing the same therapist as Bradley and I'm incredibly impressed with his progress, I'm sure Michael will do just as well."

"He is doing great, isn't is?" Jane's smile couldn't get any bigger.

No more words were needed on the topic. Both women fell into bed after an exhausting day. The barbecue had gone on longer than they had planned, like most family get-togethers. Their skin was slightly pink from exposure to the sun, the sting they felt as they shifted on the sheets served as a reminder to buy aloe the next day.

Maura chose nothing more than a purple lace camisole for bed that evening, the weather too hot to cover up with anything more. The air conditioning cooled the house to a comfortable temperature, but she still couldn't bother with bulky sleepwear. Jane wasn't complaining either when she felt the silky smooth bare thighs beneath her fingertips. The brunette suddenly felt overdressed in her thin white tank and matching boyshorts. Brown eyes had been too distracted by a voluptuous chest to notice the shift in Maura's demeanor. A small sniffle caught the detective's attention.

"Maura? Are you crying?" She raised herself onto her right elbow and looked down into a face that was turned slightly away. "What's wrong, what did I do? Whatever it was I'm sorry." Panic seeped into her voice as she placed her warm palm under a moist cheek. She turned her wife's face to her and placed a small kiss upon her lips.

"You didn't do anything, Jane. I'm just so happy." The melodic voice crackled to life.

"Oh." It was an unexpected answer that Jane wasn't prepared for.

"I have everything I ever wished for as a child. I'm surrounded by family everyday. There's always someone to talk to and see when I need it. Your mother is nosy and overly involved and it's wonderful. Everywhere I turn there's someone else who has become part of MY family." Although her voice grew stronger the tears that fell from sparkling hazel eyes grew bigger. "I had to use my imagination for a family like this...now it's all real, thanks to you."

"We built this family together."

"But you took a chance. You're the one that took that scary leap to be with me." Maura still couldn't believe Jane had chosen her so many years ago.

"I would leap off the roof of the Empire State Building if it meant ending up right here, right now, next to you." Jane kissed Maura's lips again.

"You would surely be dead if you did that, so you wouldn't be here." Maura pointed out. Jane's blank stare was all the acknowledgement she received. "But it's still very sweet."

The taller woman grimaced at the use of such a sugary word. "Now that all the mushy stuff is over, can we move on to getting you naked?" She sunk her teeth into the porcelain skin of an exposed neck.

"Such a charmer you are, Detective Rizzoli." Maura sucked in her breath at the next, much harder bite.

"Only for you, Mrs. Doctor Rizzoli." Her lips soothed the freshly bitten skin and continued to wander south.

"That title makes no sense." The blonde mumbled, becoming quickly distracted by where the small kisses were heading too.

"Shut up." Another bite to the flesh of her right breast, dangerously close to the skin that puckered painfully in pleasure.

"Make me."

"All night and forever after that." Jane claimed her wife's lips in a loving, passionate kiss. A kiss that reminded the doctor of every kiss in the past, present, and the thousands to come in the future they'd embark upon together.


End file.
